No signs yet Canadian mosquitoes can carry Zika virus

The Canadian battle against the Zika virus is being fought in a laboratory at Brock University. Researchers there are giving the virus to mosquitoes to see if they’re capable of carrying it and in turn, passing it on to humans.

Ontario has 67 species of mosquitoes and Dr. Fiona Hunter thinks it’s entirely possible one of them is capable of carrying and spreading Zika.

“I think there are other species that are transmitting it and there’s good evidence to back that up,” said Hunter. “So far the mosquitoes that we’ve tested have not been transmitting or capable of transmitting, so that’s very, very good news.”

However, Hunter says she has yet to get her hands on the type of mosquito known to carry West Nile, a virus that’s in the same family of Zika.

“Our plan was definitely to zero in on the West Nile transmitters first because it’s also a Flavivirus, however, all the numbers are down this year, so we’ve just been taking what we can get.”

Hunter adds they’ve managed to cross off eight of Ontario’s 67 mosquitoes as possible carriers.

Meanwhile, Toronto Public Health confirmed on Wednesday that two of its 43 mosquito have tested positive for West Nile Virus.

“The positive test result is a good reminder for Toronto residents to take precautions to protect themselves from mosquito bites and to remove standing water from their properties to prevent mosquito breeding,” said Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Toronto’s Acting Medical Officer of Health, in a written statement

Last year, 18 traps tested positive for West Nile Virus and 13 people were confirmed to have contracted the disease.

There have been no human cases so far this year and Toronto Public Health says the risk of becoming infected is low.