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Protect Yourself from West Nile

Thursday, 20 July 2017 14:10

Oxford County Public Health is offering up a few tips to protect yourself from the West Nile Virus this summer.

West Nile continues to be a very real concern for Ontario and Oxford County.

Right now no cases are being reported for Oxford County, but Public Health continues to keep close tabs on the mosquito population according to Manager of Health Protection Peter Haywood.

"Oxford County public health continues to do adult mosquito surveillance and we put out ten traps across the county on a weekly basis throughout the summer period and we send those traps to laboratories for environmental testing."

As of the beginning of this month there have been 8 positive pools in Ontario, but no human cases.

The best way to protect yourself is to cover up: 

- Wear a long-sleeved shirt and pants, especially in mosquito-prone areas.
- Wear a bug repellent containing DEET.

It's also a good idea to clean up your property:

- Regularly clean and empty water holding containers like bird baths, wading pools, pet water dishes and children's toys, which could be a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

- Ensure rain barrels are covered with a fine screen and tightly sealed around the downspout.

- Clear your yard of old tires, empty flower pots, buckets and any other debris where water collects.

- Keep grass mowed and bushes trimmed in high use areas

- Make sure your doors and window screens fit tightly and are free of holes

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