There were no reported cases of West Nile virus in Chatham-Kent in 2016, but it's back this summer.
The Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit says a pool of mosquitoes collected from a trap this week in southeast Chatham has tested positive for the virus. The exact location of the pool was not immediately disclosed.
So far, there have not been any human cases of the virus reported in Chatham-Kent, and this is the first mosquito pool in the municipality to test positive for the virus since 2015.
CKPHU Manager of Environmental Services Rosemarie Arndt can't say for sure why the virus missed Chatham-Kent in 2016 and returned this year.
"Speculating, I suppose the weather is different -- certainly the weather is different," says Arndt. "We've had a lot more rain, which helps mosquitoes breed as well as warmer temperatures."
Arndt says the chances of getting West Nile virus is very low and few people who are infected with the virus will have any symptoms at all -- or they will have flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, and fatigue.
However, people with more severe cases of the illness could experience stiff neck, nausea, difficulty swallowing, vomiting, and lack of coordination or paralysis.
Anyone experiencing a sudden onset of those severe symptoms should get medical attention immediately.
The risk of severe illness increase with age and for individuals who have compromised immune systems.
When it comes to preventing infection, Arndt says the message is the same as it was before the virus turned up.
"The message doesn't change -- make sure you wear light-covered clothing to cover yourself up and put DEET on to make sure the mosquitoes avoid you... try not to go out at dawn and dusk times as well," says Arndt.
Residents should also remove any standing water from their property because that is where mosquitoes breed.