Public Health Sudbury & Districts has received confirmation that a horse in the Greater Sudbury area has tested positive for West Nile virus.
According to the health unit’s Jonathan Groulx, it’s the third animal that has tested positive this year, with two crows testing positive in the summer.
Groulx says although the overall risk of a person becoming infected remains low, late summer and early fall are typically the time of greatest risk for contracting West Nile virus as mosquitoes can carry higher levels of the virus at this time of year.
He says the virus is spread through an infected mosquito and cannot be passed directly from horses to humans or other animals.
He adds the agency continues to monitor cases to better predict, prevent and control the spread.
Most people infected with the virus have no symptoms, but some people may experience mild symptoms including fever, headache, body aches, mild rash, and swollen lymph glands. In very rare cases, infection can affect the brain and cause severe illness.
