More mosquitoes? Why Canadians could see a rise this summer and beyond – National

Are you more bothered by mosquitoes this summer? You’re not alone.

Canada is buzzing with pesky insects as parts of the country see higher than usual numbers due to wet and hot weather, raising concerns for related diseases, especially West Nile virus in the man.

“It certainly seems…anecdotal that this is a big year for mosquitoes,” said Manisha Kulkarni, a medical entomologist and associate professor at the University of Ottawa.

“We had a hot and humid spring, which seems to favor mosquitoes early in the season and with the humidity we have had and the high temperatures, this should continue through the summer months.

Warmer weather amid climate change means Canada could experience longer mosquito seasons, which typically run from May to October each year, experts say.

And if mosquitoes are active for more of the year, it poses a “greater risk” to humans, wildlife and animals susceptible to mosquito-borne diseases, Kulkarni said.

“With climate change, the models and projections just indicate that we’re going to see an increasingly northward expansion of these mosquito populations into more and more areas.”

A study published in the Lancet last year predicted that the increase in global average temperature will increase the climatic suitability of malaria and dengue, especially in already endemic areas of the African region, the Americas and the Eastern Mediterranean.

The population at risk for both diseases could increase to 4.7 billion people by 2070, according to the 2021 study.

Globalization and the climate crisis have also spawned new vectors entering Canada that weren’t there before, said Rosalind Murray, assistant professor in the department of biology at the University of Toronto, Mississauga.

“We’re starting to see new species of mosquitoes and with those species we might start to see new diseases that they can carry or an influx of different types of diseases,” she said.

National mosquito surveillance data for this year is currently not available, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

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With data still being collected at the local and provincial levels, Murray said it’s too early to know midway through the season if there are more mosquitoes in Canada this year. But there are some signs that point to increased activity.

In British Columbia, observers in the Lower Mainland say heavier and prolonged rains have spawned more mosquitoes this summer.

More rain in the city of Regina pushed the mosquito population to nearly three times the historical average last month. That number has since dropped, according to the city’s latest data.

A peak in activity depends on local conditions and the type of species, experts say.

August is a big month for major carriers of West Nile virus — a mosquito-borne virus that can cause serious illness — Kulkarni said.

They tend to breed in standing water, such as clogged gutters, bird baths or flower pots, she said.

Local and provincial governments monitor mosquito activity by monitoring West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases.

Last week, the province of Manitoba confirmed its first human case of West Nile virus, which is endemic in parts of Canada, this summer.

Locally acquired cases occur in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.

“Once we start to see these positive pools for the number of mosquitoes that test positive for West Nile virus that are collected from different locations, that’s when we also start to have active mosquito control. in some areas,” Kulkarni said.

In 2021, 35 human cases in Canada were reported to PHAC. In 2020, there were 163.

Some people are more attractive targets for mosquitoes than others, experts say.

Besides individual characteristics, such as bacterial colonies on your skin and the amount of carbon dioxide we produce, behaviors also make a difference.

“The more we breathe, are active, move around, the more mosquitoes we attract,” Kulkarni said.

Wearing darker clothing attracts certain species of insects, including mosquitoes, so lighter colored and heavier clothing is recommended.

Drinking alcohol also makes you a juicy target, said Victor Shegelski, a lecturer in biological sciences at the University of Alberta.

Although an encounter with pesky insects is inevitable, there are steps people can take to protect themselves, including using repellents.

Murray advised using repellents containing DEET.

“They’re most active at dusk and dawn, so that’s the most important time to make sure you’re covered,” she said.

Murray and Kulkarni warned of standing water, which is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, around your property.

“They can breed in very small amounts of water, so if something is left out for more than a few days, you want to make sure it’s been drained,” Kulkarni said.