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Toronto Confirms First Human Case Of West Nile Virus

BREAKING: Toronto Confirms First Human Case Of West Nile Virus

On Friday morning, Toronto Public Health confirmed its first human case of West Nile Virus for 2015.

The virus was confirmed in an adult.

National Post reporter Victor Ferreira tweeted the following information about the patient:

West Nile Virus, which is primarily transmitted through infected mosquitoes, can cause encephalitis (an inflammation of the brain), according to CNN. Symptoms develop between two and 15 days after a person is bitten, and can include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, body ache, skin rash and swollen glands, reports Toronto Public Health.

The city carries out mosquito surveillance from early June until the end of September, keeping track of any bodies of water that may contain mosquitoes testing positive for the virus. At this point it is not known where the adult acquired the virus.

According to the CDC, West Nile cannot be transmitted from human to human through casual contact.

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