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on wednesday, lambton public health, located in the southwestern part of the province, announced a lab-confirmed human case of the virus, the first in the county so far this year.
officials in toronto and markham also found cases of the mosquito-spread virus in residents in august. as of september 19, public health ontario says there have been 33 reported (confirmed or probable) human cases in the province.
west nile is not just an ontario problem, though the province did record canada’s first ever case of the virus in 2002. more than 4,000 people in north america became ill that year, which infection prevention control canada calls “the largest outbreak of west nile virus infection ever recorded.” the health organization says every province, expect prince edward island and newfoundland, have reported cases in humans.
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to protect yourself from mosquitoes, remove standing water on your property, drain or cover swimming pools, wear light-coloured long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks when outside and use insect repellant. if you find dead birds, you can report them to wildlife officials here .
