Mosquitoes testing positive for the West Nile virus have been found in West St. Paul.
Manitoba officials say the virus-carrying pests typically don’t arrive in the province this early in the season, but the warmer-than-usual weather may have played a part.
The infected mosquitoes were collected last week, the province said, and the overall risk of infection remains low, but that’s expected to increase in the coming weeks, depending on a number of environmental factors.
In 2022, a total of seven human cases of West Nile were reported in Manitoba, causing five people to be hospitalized. There haven’t been any confirmed human cases so far this year.
Manitoba Health said residents can reduce the risk of mosquito bites and exposure by limiting their time outdoors during peak mosquito hours, wearing loose-fitting clothing, and wearing proper mosquito repellent outside.
Cleaning and emptying items that could collect standing water is also a worthwhile preventative measure.
More prevention details and weekly trap counts are available on the province’s website.
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