Human case of West Nile Virus reported in Timiskaming District
CBC News | Posted: July 26, 2017 7:41 PM | Last Updated: July 27, 2017
Acting medical officer of health, Dr. Marlene Spruyt, calls this 'unusual' for area
The Timiskaming Health Unit is investigating its first reported human case of West Nile Virus.
A human case of the virus is unusual for the district, acting medical officer of health Dr. Marlene Spruyt stated in a news release this afternoon.
"Mosquito surveillance has indicated we have very few of the species that carry the infection and normally it takes warmer weather to cause the virus to multiply in mosquitoes," Spruyt said.
"While we have had crows test positive for the virus in past years, we have not detected the virus in any of our mosquito pools since 2004."
The human case was confirmed earlier this week by the Timiskaming Hospital, public health inspector Adrienne Gullekson, told CBC News.
"The patient is a resident in our district and she hasn't travelled outside, so we know that it must have been locally acquired, so come from a mosquito in our area."
Gullekson called this a serious case. The patient is still hospitalized.
The health unit said that West Nile Virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, and that symptoms usually develop two to 14 days after receiving a bite from an infected mosquito.
Guekson said for a human case to become this serious is rare.
"Most people who are infected with the virus aren't symptomatic, or if they are it's very mild so they probably wouldn't even seek medical attention so it's likely that there is more in our area it's just not serious enough for people to see a doctor about it."
The health unit says those who do become ill usually experience mild flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, skin rash or muscle aches. Less than 1 per cent of people infected with the virus become seriously ill.
Windsor has recently confirmed a human case of the West Nile Virus in its region.
The Timiskaming Health unit is encouraging residents and visitors to take precautions against mosquito bites by:
- wearing protective clothing, such as light coloured clothing and long sleeves that covers exposed skin
- using mosquito repellent containing DEET when outdoors at dawn and dusk
- preventing mosquito entry into the home
- eliminating mosquito breeding sites, including stagnant water in places such as bird baths, eaves troughs, flower pots and discarded tires.
"We don't want to alarm people, but I think [as] Northerners we sort of expect to get bit by mosquitoes, and maybe don't take it seriously, in terms of prevention."