Chatham-Kent Public Health officials are reporting two more positive tests for West Nile Virus.
Laboratory confirmation has been received from mosquitoes collected August 22nd in north-west Chatham and Dresden, marking the fourth and fifth cases discovered in the last two months.
There have no human cases of West Nile reported so far this summer.
Local residents are encouraged to protect themselves by wearing light-coloured clothing, using insect repellent containing DEET, ensuring all door and window screens are tight and free of holes, and eliminating sources of standing water to prevent mosquito breeding.
Symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, body aches and fatigue. In rare cases, those infected may experience more severe symptoms such as stiff neck, nausea, difficulty swallowing, vomiting, and lack of coordination or paralysis.
Older individuals and those with compromised immune systems are at higher risk of severe illness.
For more information on West Nile Virus, please visit http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/wn- no/index-eng.php or call CK Public Health at 519.355.1071.