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Background Information

Many people have become worried about the risk of West Nile Virus, but fortunately, the risk of being infected by West Nile Virus is low, and the chances of experiencing any serious health problems are even lower
C. Yong Kang, a professor of virology in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at The University of Western Ontario says this about West Nile Virus: "The risk of being bitten by a mosquito carrying the WN virus is still low, the symptoms for this infection are mild, the mortality rate is low, and it is not really a serious risk. In fact, there are far more serious viral infections in Canada than the West Nile virus to worry about such as influenza and hepatitis. Approximately 500 to 1500 Canadians die from the influenza virus infection every year."
West Nile Virus was first isolated in 1937 in the West Nile region of Uganda, and has had been reported in Egypt, Israel, South Africa, as well as parts of Europe, Asia, and North America
10 out of 74 species of mosquitoes in Canada have been known to carry the West Nile Virus
It has been estimated that, in any given area, less than 1% of mosquitoes are likely to have West Nile Virus
There is no specific treatment or cure for the virus yet, but the Unites States is working on a vaccine for humans