The cool spring weather meant a slow start for the mosquitoes that can carry the West Nile virus, but the hot weather-loving insect can thrive in the weeks ahead, provincial officials cautioned Friday.
The Ministry of Health held a news conference in Regina to remind people to be alert to the risks.
"We don't want people to stay indoors, so Saskatchewan should enjoy the summer. But they should certainly take precautions," said Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer, Dr. Moira McKinnon, who recommended wearing long sleeves, using insect repellent containing DEET and avoiding going to mosquito-laden areas, particularly at dawn and dusk.
The province had a record year in 2007 with more than 1,400 human cases of the virus, including 113 cases of the severe West Nile neurological syndrome. The virus also contributed to the deaths of six people with underlying medical conditions.
Just 17 human cases were recorded last year, including one severe case.
It's difficult to predict what this year will bring, said provincial entomologist Phil Curry, who noted the risk season usually goes from late June through to early September.
He urged people not to get complacent about the virus, which has been seen in Saskatchewan for the past seven summers. The "nuisance" mosquitoes out right now will soon die off, which may leave people with the false impression they don't need to wear repellent, he said. However, the "sneaky" Culex tarsalis mosquito will be busy biting.
"It tends to come out around the evening and dusk period. It's the mosquito that comes out just as you're wrapping up your soccer game and you notice a few mosquitoes out or you're sitting on your deck and you notice a few mosquitoes that are biting at your ankles," Curry said.
"Unfortunately, come July, the majority of the mosquitoes that are there are Culex tarsalis and some of them will be infected."
© Copyright (c) The StarPhoenix http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/discount+danger+West+Nile+official/1716318/story.html
The Ministry of Health held a news conference in Regina to remind people to be alert to the risks.
"We don't want people to stay indoors, so Saskatchewan should enjoy the summer. But they should certainly take precautions," said Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer, Dr. Moira McKinnon, who recommended wearing long sleeves, using insect repellent containing DEET and avoiding going to mosquito-laden areas, particularly at dawn and dusk.
The province had a record year in 2007 with more than 1,400 human cases of the virus, including 113 cases of the severe West Nile neurological syndrome. The virus also contributed to the deaths of six people with underlying medical conditions.
Just 17 human cases were recorded last year, including one severe case.
It's difficult to predict what this year will bring, said provincial entomologist Phil Curry, who noted the risk season usually goes from late June through to early September.
He urged people not to get complacent about the virus, which has been seen in Saskatchewan for the past seven summers. The "nuisance" mosquitoes out right now will soon die off, which may leave people with the false impression they don't need to wear repellent, he said. However, the "sneaky" Culex tarsalis mosquito will be busy biting.
"It tends to come out around the evening and dusk period. It's the mosquito that comes out just as you're wrapping up your soccer game and you notice a few mosquitoes out or you're sitting on your deck and you notice a few mosquitoes that are biting at your ankles," Curry said.
"Unfortunately, come July, the majority of the mosquitoes that are there are Culex tarsalis and some of them will be infected."
© Copyright (c) The StarPhoenix http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/discount+danger+West+Nile+official/1716318/story.html
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