Two cases of WNV reported in Peel

September 20, 2017 · 0 Comments

Peel Public Health is reporting there are two confirmed cases of West Nile Virus (WNV) in the region this year; both in Mississauga.
That is effective for the period ending Sept. 9.
The Region also reported there have been 107 mosquito pools in the region that have tested positive for the disease. There have been four found in Caledon, 58 in Brampton and 45 in Mississauga.
The adult mosquito surveillance program has been going on since June, with adult mosquitoes being collected weekly from traps at 33 fixed locations throughout Peel. This will continue until later this month. To date, 950 mosquito batches have been tested for WNV, with 107 have testing positive.
The larviciding program started June 1 and will continue until Sept. 30.
Larviciding involves applying environmentally-friendly products to reduce mosquito larvae in stagnant water. The third round of larviciding has been completed. The first round was indicated by a blue dot on the catch basin grate, the second round was indicated by a purple dot and the third round is indicated by a green dot.
Residents are advised to reduce their risk of WNV by removing stagnant water on their property. Empty or dispose of containers that can hold water, such as old tires, wheelbarrows, barrels, pails, toys and recycling bins; and turn over wading pools, remove water that collects on pool covers and make sure the pool’s pump is circulating.
To avoid being bitten, people should avoid areas with large numbers of mosquitoes; wear light-coloured clothing, including long sleeves, long pants, socks and a hat whenever outdoors (even in the backyard), especially at dusk and dawn; and use an insect repellent and apply it according to the manufacturer’s directions.
For more protection tips, visit www.peel-bugbite.ca.
So far this year, there have been 390 WNV-positive mosquito batches found in Ontario and 65 human cases of the illness reported