As the summer reaches peak West Nile risk, 40% more mosquitoes are buzzing around Toronto this year, relative to last, according to estimates provided by Toronto Public Health.

"The message has to be that we are at peak-risk period," said Dr. Mike Drebot, chief of the viral zoonoses section at the National Microbiology Laboratory. "Until the first frost, there could be mosquitoes flying around that could be carrying the virus."

A SECOND food business in a month has been closed by Doncaster Council because of infestation by mice.
Doncaster Council obtained a hygiene emergency prohibition order against Saijad Akhtar, who runs General Store and Off Licence, on the corner of Carr House Road and Chequer Road, Hyde Park.

It was the second order of the kind the council has issued in just weeks and follows an order against Pizza Hut on High Street in July.

People who have contracted West Nile virus from infected mosquitoes – even those with some serious neurological complications – can take heart that they will fully recover over time, Canadian researchers say.

In a 2003-2007 study of 156 Canadians afflicted with West Nile virus disease, including some who developed potentially fatal meningitis and encephalitis, the average time to recovery was about a year, said principal investigator Dr. Mark Loeb, an infectious disease specialist at McMaster University.

The University of Alberta says it has made progress in thwarting a bed bug outbreak at one its residences.

After spraying all 20 floors of Newton Place over two weekends in July, pest-control staff are now doing second and third rounds of treatment in a small number of units.

Bed-bug evidence was found in only two of the building's 321 apartments. There was no sign of the insects after the first fumigation, but as a precaution the university is redoing the two affected units along with adjacent rooms for a total of 15.