A batch of adult mosquitoes collected in Ajax has tested positive for West Nile virus, the Durham Region Health Department has confirmed.
It is the first mosquito batch anywhere in Durham Region to test positive for the virus this season, according to a Region of Durham news release.
The insects were gathered from one of the Health Department's mosquito trap sites in Ajax. Every week from June through September, the department sets traps across the region and sends the mosquitoes it collects for laboratory testing.
How the virus spreads
West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne illness that spreads to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes pick up the virus by feeding on the blood of an infected bird, the release explains.
The disease does not pass from person to person, and it cannot be transmitted directly from a bird to a person.
What to watch for
The Health Department says most people who contract the virus experience mild illness, which can include fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting and a rash on the chest, stomach or back.
More serious symptoms can include muscle weakness, a stiff neck, confusion, tremors, numbness and sudden sensitivity to light.
Symptoms typically appear between two and 15 days after a bite from an infected mosquito.
Region working to cut mosquito numbers
Although the risk of becoming infected is low, the Health Department recommends that residents take precautions to reduce mosquito bites and the possibility of infection.
The department also works to keep local mosquito populations down. It treats catch basins across Durham Region, along with other sites where stagnant water collects, with a larvicide to reduce breeding.
Residents looking for more information about West Nile virus can call the Durham Health Connection Line at 905-668-2020 or 1-800-841-2729, or visit durham.ca/WestNile.
