Prince George, B.C. - While West Nile virus has been confirmed in B.C., there have been no signs of the mosquito carried   disease in the Northern Interior, but Northern Health wants you to be prepared.

Northern Health Environmental Health Protection Officer, Greg Thibeault says mosquitoes don’t fly too far, so if you are being bitten, the source of the mosquito hatch is likely your own backyard.

“We can’t stop it from coming here, so if you can’t stop something you have to take protective measures.”

Those protective measures include cleaning out areas where there may be standing water, like a bird bath, “Cleaning out a bird bath once a week can make a difference” says Thibeault who adds a bird bath can breed thousands of mosquitoes every week.

While the vast majority of people won’t exhibit any symptoms when they come in contact with West Nile virus, there are some who will develop mild symptoms, “We’re only going to see about 1 in 5 who will develop flu like symptoms of fever or maybe a rash.  One in about 150 people will have the more serious neurological symptoms of infection in the brain or in the lining of the brain.”

Thibeault says he expects to see West Nile Virus in the Northern Interior within the next two years.

Thibeault says the detection of West Nile Virus in B.C. came just before the Province planned to cut West Nile prevention programs.