West Nile Virus season – public education launch in Toronto

City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:

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Media Advisory:  June 5, 2014                   

 

West Nile Virus season – public education launch in Toronto

  

Toronto Public Health and the Canadian Centre of Mosquito Management will host a media event tomorrow concerning West Nile Virus.

Date: Friday, June 6

Time: 10:30 a.m.

Location: High Park, Deer Pen Road

Address: 1873 Bloor St. W. – site is in High Park as described below

The media event site is at the entrance of the parking lot between the duck pond and High Park Zoo. Access is from the Parkside Drive entrance to High Park: turn on High Park Boulevard, then left on Spring Road to the parking lot at Deer Pen Road.

Experts will be available for photo and interview opportunities on:

• facts on West Nile Virus

• demonstration of mosquito traps

• checking for the presence of mosquito larvae, and 

• placing larvicide in catch basins to reduce the mosquito population.

West Nile Virus is a potentially serious illness that is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. Although the risk of becoming infected is low, protection against mosquito bites can reduce this risk even further. The public education efforts will inform people about how they can reduce their risk of being exposed to West Nile Virus.

Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. Toronto is proud to be the Host City for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.

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Media contact: Kris Scheuer, Toronto Public Health, 416-338-8020, 416-677-6658 (cell), kscheue@toronto.ca