The City of Winnipeg and the RM of West St. Paul have been ordered by the province to begin spraying for adult mosquitoes due to the high numbers of Culex tarsalis mosquitoes and evidence of infection with West Nile virus (WNV).
The City of Winnipeg say that they will begin spraying on Thursday August 5 and that buffer zones are no longer in effect in the city. The insect management areas that will be sprayed include:
- Area 43 (North Inkster Industrial, Oakpoint Highway, Omand’s Creek Industrial, Tyndall Park)
- Area 44 (Burrows – Keewatin, Inkster Industrial Park, Mynarski, Pacific Industrial, Shaughnessy Park, Weston, Weston Shops)
- Area 48 (Inkster Gardens, Mandalay West, The Maples)
- Area 49 (Garden City, Leila – McPhillips Triangle, Margaret Park, Templeton – Sinclair)
- Area 51 (Amber Trails, Leila North, Riverbend, Rivergrove, Rosser – Old Kildonan, West Kildonan Industrial)
Spraying operations will begin in the evening and continue overnight weather permitting.
The province says that the risk of humans contracting West Nile virus is high at this time and is expected to remain high for much of August. You can reduce your risk of mosquito bites by:
- reducing the amount of time spent outdoors in peak mosquito hours during dusk and dawn;
- using an appropriate mosquito repellent;
- wearing light-colored, loose-fitting clothing with long sleeves and pant legs;
- maintaining door and window screens; and
- cleaning and emptying yard items that collect water.
Between 2012 and 2018 there were 112 cases of WNV in Manitoba with nearly 40 per cent of these cases requiring hospitalization and 10 per cent needing admission to intensive care units.
© News4.ca 2021
