West Nile virus targeted by Windsor-Essex health unit

A campaign against West Nile virus kicks off in Windsor-Essex today.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit will hold a news conference today marking the campaign's start.

West Nile virus is a potentially serious illness transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito.

"Each year, we have to prepare and assume that mosquitoes are carrying the West Nile virus," the health unit's associate medical officer of health Dr. Wajid Ahmed said in a news release. "Residents should continue to take the proper precautions to protect themselves from being bitten."

People can protect themselves by using mosquito repellents, avoiding outdoor activities between dusk and dawn and wearing protective clothing.

While part of the West Nile virus strategy involves larviciding in areas where the virus is found, people can also make a difference by removing any hazards that could become a reservoir for standing water.

Things like old tires, upturned wheelbarrows and unused flower pots are breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Reducing pools of standing water reduces the places mosquitoes can breed.