Brant County Health Unit (BCHU) has confirmed that tests for a mosquito pool collected from a residential neighborhood in Brantford has led to the first lab evidence of West Nile Virus (WNV) in the area for 2024.
BCHU say there are no confirmed human cases of WNV in the area this year, and in 2023 there were also no human cases of the virus found.
Filip Pajtondziev, Manager for Infectious Diseases at BCHU said in a July 19 media release that recent weather conditions could be a factor in this finding.
“This is the first positive pool of West Nile virus this season. The significant amount of rainfall and high temperatures are creating favorable breeding grounds for mosquitoes.”
BCHU say they will continue to monitor for WNV throughout the region and residents looking for more information on the virus can contact BCHU at (519) 753-4937.
