Durham Region Health Department says it received confirmation on Thursday that three traps tested positive for mosquitoes.
One trap is in Ajax, the site of a previous positive mosquito batch reported on August 19, another trap is in Clarington which was also the site of a positive batch reported on July 21, and the third trap is in north Oshawa.
A total of six positive batches of mosquitoes have been found in the area so far this year.
The health department has mosquito traps installed throughout the area and submits mosquitoes for laboratory testing every week between June and September.
“The Department of Health is warning that with the positive test results, it is important for all Durham residents to take precautions against WNV by avoiding mosquito bites and removing standing water from their properties,” the department wrote in a news release Thursday .
West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne disease that is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.
Mosquitoes become infected by feeding on the blood of a bird that has the virus.
The disease cannot be spread from person to person or from bird to person.
“Most people who contract the virus will experience mild illness, including fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting and a rash on the chest, stomach or back. More serious symptoms may include muscle weakness, neck stiffness, confusion, tremors, numbness and sudden sensitivity to light,” the health ministry wrote.
Symptoms usually develop between two and 15 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
The health department recommends that people minimize their risk of contracting the virus by wearing shoes, a long-sleeved T-shirt and full-length pants when outside at dusk or dawn, using insect repellent containing DEET or Picaridin, and removing standing water from their property where they can mosquitoes breed.
