Peel reports 1st human West Nile Virus this year

Peel Public Health has reported the region's first human case of West Nile Virus this year. 

In a news release on Friday, the public health unit said the case is in a Mississauga resident. West Nile Virus is an infection that is transmitted to people through the bite of an infected mosquito.

The public health unit did not disclose any other information about the person infected. 

"While the overall risk of getting a West Nile virus infection is lower during the fall months, this case reinforces the importance of residents protecting themselves against mosquito bites," Peel Region's associate medical officer, Dr. Nicholas Brandon, said in the release. 

The case comes after Toronto reported its first probable human West Nile Virus case last month, and after Peel's publish health unit found infected mosquitos in Brampton in July.

Peel Region monitors West Nile virus across the region, which includes Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon, through the use of 33 mosquito traps, it said in a previous news release. 

Those traps are collected and tested weekly from June to September, when the health agency says residents are most likely to contract the virus. 

While most infected people do not show symptoms, the region said in the Friday release, others can have a mild flu, rash, fever, headache, body ache and swollen lymph glands. 

Rarely, the disease can be severe, with people with compromised immune systems and those over the age of 50 at higher risk of severe illness, the health unit said. 

The public health unit said residents can protect themselves from the virus in the following ways:

• Wear light-coloured, long-sleeved shirts and pants when outdoors. 

• Apply an insect repellent approved by Health Canada and follow the manufacturer's instructions. 

• Take extra care during peak mosquito biting time, which are dusk and dawn.

• Remove standing water from property where mosquitoes can breed. 

• Ensure screens are tight-fitting on windows and doors.  

• Cover rain barrel openings with screen mesh. 

Residents can register with the region for more information on the virus, as well as to find out about which areas in Peel had infected mosquitoes, Peel Public Health said.