The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) is reminding residents to take steps to avoid mosquito bites after a mosquito trap in west London tested positive for West Nile virus. According to the health unit, it is the first mosquito trap in the region to test positive for the virus in 2026. “There has been a lot of rainfall this summer, which may lead to increased mosquito activity in some areas. It is important to take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones from mosquito bites,” said Jeremy Hogeveen, safe water, tobacco enforcement and vector-borne disease co-ordinator with the Middlesex-London Health Unit. “Our team will continue surveillance and control activities while reminding residents across London and Middlesex County that West Nile virus is present in our community.” Since early May, the health unit’s vector-borne disease team has conducted weekly mosquito monitoring at 23 trapping sites as part of a 17-week study that runs through September. The team will also carry out more than 800 treatments at 185 surface-water sites on public property across London and Middlesex County. Most people infected with West Nile virus do not become ill. About 80 per cent experience no symptoms. Those who do become sick usually develop mild flu-like symptoms, while fewer than one per cent develop severe illness.
