Ottawa Public Health urges caution as mosquitoes test positive for West Nile

Ottawa’s public health agency is urging residents to protect themselves against mosquito bites when outdoors this summer, after some of the blood-sucking insects in the national capital region tested positive for the West Nile virus.

While most people will not develop any symptoms if they are infected with the mosquito-transmitted virus, about 20 per cent of those infected “may experience flu-like symptoms,” Ottawa Public Health (OPH) said in a news release Thursday.

Symptoms of a West Nile infection include fever, headache, muscle aches, and in some cases, a rash, according to health officials.

There have been no reported “confirmed or probable” human cases of the virus in Ottawa this year, OPH said, but two cases have been reported in Ontario since July 21, 2018. Last year, there were 20 human cases in Ottawa and 147 across the province.

Older adults, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk of falling seriously ill if infected with West Nile, OPH said.

The health agency’s suggestions for protecting against mosquito bites include:

• Applying Health Canada-approved mosquito repellent that contains DEET or icaridin to exposed skin and clothing, especially between dusk and dawn or when present in a bushy or wooded area
• Wearing light-coloured, tightly woven and loose clothing that covers as much skin as possible
• Ensuring all windows and doors in your home have screens installed that are in good condition

OPH is also encouraging residents to do away with “all outdoor objects that can hold water” — like bird baths, swimming pool covers and buckets— to reduce the number of places mosquitoes can lay their eggs.

The agency also suggests residents cover all openings to rain barrels with screen mesh.

Experts told Global News in June they think 2018 will be “bad year” for bugs in Southern Ontario.