Peel Region has reported its first human case of the West Nile virus for this year.
In a news release on Friday, the region’s public health confirmed that a resident from Mississauga had tested positive for the virus.
This is the third reported human case of West Nile in the Greater Toronto Area this past week, with the other two found in Toronto. Officials in Halton Region said they had identified a probable case and were waiting for laboratory results to verify.
“As summer winds down, residents are reminded to protect themselves against mosquito bites. Mosquitos capable of transmitting West Nile virus remain active until the first hard frost,” Dr. Kate Bingham, Peel Region’s associate medical officer of health, said in a statement.
Peel Public Health noted that its monitoring has indicated West Nile virus activity in mosquitoes “has been higher than the historical average.”
The virus is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.
Most people who contract the disease will show no symptoms. But some will experience mild flu-like symptoms like fever, headache, a mild rash and swollen lymph glands.
Peel residents are urged to protect themselves from mosquitoes, including applying an approved insect repellent, avoiding areas with large mosquito populations, especially between dusk and dawn, wearing light-coloured, tightly woven, loose-fitting clothing and removing or draining items that hold stagnant water.
