Lambton Public Health has found mosquitos carrying the West Nile Virus in Petrolia.
Lori Lucas says one of the fixed mosquito traps in the town limits was found to have mosquitos carrying the disease July 25. It’s the first positive result of the 12 traps set out around Lambton this year.
But Lucas says it isn’t really a surprise. West Nile Virus has been found in Lambton since 2002. Since then, public health has had “continuous monitoring” to keep track of where the virus can be found.
“We tell people to assume it is in your community.”
West Nile Virus can be spread to people through the bite of a mosquito but most people who are infected never feel ill. Some people will develop a headache or skin rash and about one per cent of the population will become seriously ill and require long-term treatment.
This year, there haven’t been any cases of human West Nile Virus in Lambton. There has been one in Windsor.
Aside from monitoring mosquito pools, public health also has a larviciding program, dropping chemicals in catch basins in urban areas to stop the development of mosquitos.
Lucas says there are lots things people can do to avoid being bitten at all, including avoiding high mosquito populations, staying inside after dusk or wearing light coloured, long-sleeved clothing if you are out and use a bug spray with DEET in it.
Lucas says Lambton County’s summer has been wetter than normal, so there are likely more of the blood suckers around. And the mosquito population usually grows in August.
To stop the bugs Lucas says; “where there is standing water on our own property, drain it.”