With the warm weather comes mosquitoes and the threat of West Nile virus.
If you spot a dead crow or blue jay contact the Middlesex-London Health Unit. Testing the dead birds allows the health unit to determine if West Nile is present in the London area.
Last year there were no human cases of the virus in the area. However, that is the first time that has happened since 2010.
"In about 1-2% of people it (West Nile virus) can lead swelling of the brain... It's rare, but it does happen and unfortunately we've seen death attributed to West Nile virus over the last ten years in Middlesex-London," says the health unit's Vector Borne Disease Coordinator Jeremy Hogeveen. "We had four positive birds last year. In 2013, we had nine and then in 2012 we had 23. It's something that kind of rises and falls with the weather."
Humans get West Nile by being bitten by an infected mosquito. Hogeveen says you can protect yourself by wearing bug spray with DEET and light, full coverage clothing. He also suggests getting rid of all standing water on your property, as this is where the insects breed.
The health unit will also be testing mosquito traps throughout the city beginning later in the month.
