A spike in the number of human cases of West Nile Virus in Windsor-Essex in 2024.
According to a report from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, seven human cases were recorded this year, up from one case in 2023 and two cases in 2022.
The West Nile virus is transmitted to people through the bite of an infected mosquito.
Many people infected with the virus experience no symptoms, but some may experience mild symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, and fatigue.
In rare cases, infected individuals may experience more severe illness, including stiff necks, nausea, difficulty swallowing, vomiting, and paralysis.
The health unit's mosquito surveillance program ran for a total of 20 weeks from May 22 to October 11.
Over one thousand mosquito pools were tested, with eight pools testing positive for West Nile Virus.
The health unit's mosquito larviciding program applied larvicides to catch basins, standing water sites, and lagoons that hold water where mosquitoes may breed.