British Columbia health officials on Wednesday confirmed the first-ever case of a human contracting the West Nile virus in the province.
Lab tests are underway to determine if a second person has been infected.
"The confirmed case is a Kelowna resident and the suspected second case lives in the same household. Both people had travelled within the central and south Okanagan areas and reported being bitten by mosquitoes," said Dr. Paul Hasselback, medical health officer with the Interior Health Authority in a press release.
"Last week, a mosquito pool sample collected from the south Okanagan tested positive for West Nile virus, and this week two more mosquito pool samples from the South Okanagan have tested positive," he said.
All previously recorded cases of West Nile virus in B.C. had been travel-related, acquired outside the province, officials said.
"Once again, we would like to reiterate that people can and should take common-sense precautions to protect themselves from mosquito bites in the next few weeks, especially when outdoors," said Dr. Bonnie Henry, medical director of the Vector-borne Disease Program at BCCDC, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority.
"This includes wearing light-coloured, long-sleeved shirts and long pants - especially in the evenings and early mornings when mosquitoes are most active - and using mosquito repellents that are federally registered, such as those that contain DEET and lemon eucalyptus oil."
