Hamilton moves threat of West Nile from low to moderate

Hamiltonians are at risk of getting West Nile after a recent batch of mosquitoes tested positive for the virus.

The city's medical officer of health has moved the risk of West Nile virus from low to moderate.

That means residents should remove standing water from their properties and guardagainst mosquito bites, public health officials said in a media release.

The city has just done a third round of larviciding treatments in catch basins, the release says. It's also treating surface water on public land.

About 80 per cent of people infected with the virus don't have symptoms, it says. But about 20 per cent of people mostly older adults and those with weakened immune systems get West Nile fever. About one per cent willexperience severe illness, including inflammation of the brain ot its lining.

Symptoms appear between two days and two weeks after a bite from an infected mosquito.

Here's how to prevent it:

• Avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
• Use a mosquito repellent (bug spray) containingDEET or Icaridin.
• Avoid areas where you know there are mosquitoes, or cover up by wearing light colouredlong sleeves and long pants. Do this when you're in high-mosquito areas such as thewoods, a golf course or a garden. Public Health especially recommends doing this at dawn and dusk. That's when mosquitoes are most active.
• Remove standingwater on your property at least once a week. Mosquitoes breed in those areas.

For more info, visit hamilton.ca/westnile.