In the most recent case, one person is reportedly dead due to West Nile Virus (WNV) in Canada, blackburnnews.com wrote.
This is the first death of the season attributed to the virus in Canada, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit said in a news release on Friday.
The health unit said residents should continue to protect themselves, as certain types of mosquitoes spread West Nile Virus, a potentially serious infection to humans.
Health officials added that so far this year, 26 mosquito traps set up in Windsor-Essex and across the region had caught mosquitoes that tested positive for WNV.
They advised residents to eliminate any standing water around their home, take personal protective measures to avoid mosquito bites by using insect repellents, stay indoors when mosquitoes are most active at dusk and dawn and to make sure that all door and window screens are tight and free of any holes.
The West Nile Virus is an illness that spreads from mosquitoes to humans.
A mosquito becomes infected when it feeds on the blood of a bird that is carrying the virus. About two weeks later, the mosquito is capable of spreading the virus to people and animals while biting for a blood meal.
The virus is not spread from person to person and cannot be spread directly from infected animals, such as birds, horses, or pets, to people.
READ MORE: Rats, Snakes, West Nile Virus: Consequences of California's Record Drought
West Nile virus originated in the West Nile region of Uganda in 1937, and for decades it was confined to Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and parts of the Middle East and Europe.
In 1999, it was detected in New York City, where 7 people died from it. Canada had its first confirmed infection in a bird in 2001.
In September 2002, the first confirmed human cases of West Nile virus were reported in parts of Quebec and Ontario.
