Lowering your risk of West Nile virus infection this summer

Here are some ways you can help prevent mosquito bites:

Cover as much of your body as possible when outdoors, especially in grassy or wooded areas.
Wear long-sleeved, light-coloured shirts and pants, and a hat.
Stay indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.  
Use a Health Canada-approved insect repellent (for example, products with DEET or Icaridin) and follow the product label instructions.

Per PCA: If you’re a parent or caregiver, do not use insect repellent with DEET on babies under six months of age. Instead, use mosquito netting and try not to be outside when insect activity is high, like at dawn and dusk.

If your child is old enough for you to use insect repellent with DEET, limit use where you can:

If your child is six months of age to two years old, do not use insect repellent more than once a day. Use insect repellent only when there’s a high risk of insect bites, like at dawn and dusk.
If your child is over two years of age, you can use it up to three times a day.

PCA adds to always make sure you use a registered product labelled as an insect repellent for use on people.

Visit Personal Insect repellents – Canada.ca for more information. To learn more about West Nile virus and ways to keep safe, visit Fightthebite.info.

by Josh Hall

Lowering your risk of West Nile virus infection this summer

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