WINDSOR, Ont. — Health officials say there is no current risk of Zika transmission after mosquito larvae from a species linked to human cases of the virus were found in the Windsor, Ont., area.
Officials had enhanced their mosquito surveillance efforts after finding four Aedes albopictus mosquitos, a species capable of transmitting the virus, last month.
They collected larvae as part of that surveillance and three larvae grew into Aedus aegypti mosquitos, the species responsible for the majority of human cases of the virus in the Caribbean, South America and Florida.
READ MORE: ‘No current risk’ after mosquito that can transmit Zika virus found in Ontario: officials
All the mosquitos tested negative for Zika.
Local medical officer of health Dr. Gary Kirk says he believes it’s the first time that type of mosquito has been found in Canada.
He says it’s not clear how the larvae arrived, but eggs could have been carried over in shipping containers coming from the U.S.
Kirk says the Aeges aegypti will not survive the winter, but health officials will keep an eye out next year in case more arrive.
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“Based on all we know about this mosquito, the absence of Zika virus in the tested mosquitos and in our community, we conclude that there has not been nor is there a current risk of local mosquito Zika virus transmission in Windsor-Essex County,” he said.
Officials say the greatest risk to contracting Zika virus continues to be travelling to Zika-risk areas.
There has been one case of Zika virus in Windsor-Essex, but officials say that person contracted the virus through travel.
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