While Burnaby residents may be grumbling about the cool temperatures this summer, it has reduced one pesky problem - mosquitoes.
"The weather's been cool, and the numbers reflect that," said Dipak Dattani, assistant director of engineering for the City of Burnaby. The city is watching the mosquito population around lakes and marshes as part of a province-wide attempt to monitor the risk of the West Nile virus.
At this point, Dattani said, the city has a consultant conducting surveillance of Burnaby's lakes bogs and marshes - as in previous years - and hasn't yet had to treat any pockets of mosquito larvae as the population has been low. The surveillance is part of a three-pronged approach to assessing and dealing with the threat of West Nile, Dattani said. The other elements are meeting at the regional level with other municipalities to compare data, and educating the public on how to prevent mosquito in the city.
West Nile virus, a disease carried by birds and spread by mosquitoes, can infect people as well as other mammals, according to a recent press release from Fraser Health.
Human cases of the disease were first identified in B.C. in 2009, according to the release.
While most people affected don't show symptoms, about 20 per cent experience flu-like symptoms, and one in approximately 150 people is affected seriously, with nervous symptom complications.
The health authority suggests residents drain any standing water on their property, as it can be a breeding zone for mosquitoes.
Fraser Health also recommends covering up or using bug spray at dawn and dusk, dressing in light-coloured longsleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors, and using insect repellant that contains DEET.
Fraser Health works with the B.C. Centre for Disease Control and local municipalities on monitoring West Nile virus risks. The agencies have collaborated on a surveillance program for early detection of the virus.
"While (the virus) won't occur in all areas of the province, regions such as the southern Interior and Fraser Valley are at higher risk. This is because the virus was present in low levels in these areas last year and because they generally experience higher summer temperatures than other parts of B.C.," said deputy provincial health officer Dr. Eric Young in a press release from the centre. "If any positive (virus) activity is detected, public health officials will be alerting residents of the affected region."
Residents in the Fraser Health region are asked to report dead crows to authority's West Nile virus toll-free line at 1888-968-5463.
