The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit has started the 2015 West Nile Virus Program on Friday.
Dr. Wajid Ahmed, acting associated medical officer of health and GDG Environment outdoors kicked off the campaign at Ojibway Prairie Park.
“West Nile Virus is a potentially serious illness that is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito,” says Ahmed. “Each year, we have to prepare and assume that mosquitoes are carrying the West Nile virus.”
He says residents should continue to take the proper precautions to protect themselves from being bitten.
Individuals can protect themselves by using mosquito repellents, avoiding outdoor activities between dusk and dawn and wearing protective clothing.
Part of the West Nile virus strategy involves larviciding in areas where the virus is found.
Residents can also make a difference by removing any hazards that could become a reservoir for standing water, such as old tires, upturned wheelbarrows, and unused flower pots. Reducing pools of standing water reduces the places mosquitoes can breed.
Background information can be found on the health unit’s West Nile virus webpage. https://www.wechu.org/your-environment/west-nile-virus
