A 36-year-old Toronto man has been diagnosed with West Nile virus, the first reported case of the year, the city's public health service announced on Friday.
Toronto Public Health said the man was hospitalized after being diagnosed with West Nile virus and is recovering at home.
The number of cases of West Nile Virus in Toronto has been declining since the virus was first diagnosed in 2002. There was one human case reported in Toronto last year and no cases in either of the two previous years.
The last West Nile virus-related death in Toronto was in 2005, Toronto Public Health said.
A Burlington woman in her 70s died earlier this month after contracting the virus, becoming Halton Region's first such death since 2002.
"Although the number of human cases has been declining steadily in the past few years, it is still important to take precautions," Dr. Herveen Sachdeva, associate medical officer of health, said in a statement.
"Most human cases of West Nile Virus are contracted at this time of year."
Toronto Public Health recommends using mosquito repellent containing DEET, wearing light-coloured clothing and covering up in areas where mosquitoes are present.
