Ottawa Public Health says it has confirmed two human cases of West Nile virus in Ottawa. In a statement on social media on Wednesday, the public health unit said it confirmed the first case of West Nile virus in Ottawa for 2026. In a statement to CTV News, the public health unit said a second human case had also been confirmed. Ottawa Public Health is encouraging residents to “take steps to prevent mosquito bites and reduce the risk of infection.” “It’s important for residents to continue to prevent mosquito bites until the first hard frost, including using insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants at dusk/dawn, and removing standing water around their home,” the public health unit’s website reads. While anyone can be infected with West Nile virus, Ottawa Public Health says older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of developing severe illness. Of the 1,147 mosquito pools tested for West Nile virus this year, Ottawa Public Health says 23 tested positive. Last week, the Eastern Ontario Health Unit said they had confirmed the first human case of West Nile virus in the eastern Ontario region.
