In a press release issued Monday, Toronto Public Health (TPH) said five clusters of infected mosquitoes from Etobicoke, North York and west Toronto are among the first to test positive for the virus this year.
TPH said the risk to the public of becoming infected is low.
Mosquito surveillance in the city is carried out annually and sees 22 traps placed across the city each week. The program runs from mid-June to mid-September, and trapped mosquitoes are taken to a lab for identification and then pooled in tanks to be tested for the virus, the agency said.
Last year, a total of 20 mosquito reservoirs tested positive. In 2020, that number was 33.
Symptoms associated with West Nile virus can include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, body aches, skin rash and swollen lymph nodes and usually develop between two and 14 days after infection.
TPH said older people and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness.
The agency has offered a number of tips to protect yourself in the final weeks of summer. These include:
Wear light-colored clothing, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts when outdoors. Apply insect repellent containing DEET or icaridin and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Be especially aware of peak mosquito-biting times, dusk and dawn, by using repellent and covering up. Make sure your home has tight screens on windows and doors. Remove standing water from your property where mosquitoes can breed. Standing water includes any water that collects on items such as pool covers, buckets, planters, toys and trash cans.
