The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit wants you to reduce your risk of being bitten by mosquitoes.
The health unit says that’s because they can carry serious illnesses, like West Nile Virus. Symptoms of the virus usually develop up to 14 days after the bite, and include fevers, headaches, body aches, fatigue, skin rashes, and nausea.
Mosquitoes can also carry the Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus, which has symptoms including fevers, chills, fatigue, and muscle and joint pain, which start to show up to 10 days after a bite.
To protect yourself, the health unit is urging you to get rid of standing water on your property where mosquitoes lay their eggs, and cover rain barrels with a fine screen mesh. You should also clean out dense bush where mosquitoes can rest, turn over your compost pile regularly, and make sure window and door screens are snug and don’t have holes in them.
The health unit says you can also use insect repellent on exposed skin, and cover up with light-coloured, long-sleeve shirts, long pants, hats and socks.