BARRIE, ONT. -- The health unit is warning residents in New Tecumseth to protect against mosquito bites and West Nile virus.
The health unit reported the first lab-confirmed case of West Nile in Simcoe Muskoka this year after mosquitoes that were collected in a trap in Alliston tested positive for the virus.
Subsequent mosquito pools in the area have also tested positive.
Most people won't become sick if bitten by an infected mosquito, but in some cases, symptoms can be severe.
West Nile can cause fever, muscle weakness, stiff neck, confusion, severe headache and a sudden sensitivity to light. In very rare cases, the virus may cause serious neurological illness.
