2 mosquito species in B.C. show results for virus that can cause human illness
The pilot project tested more than 170 mosquito pools and found low levels of the virus in two species, officials said.
- A 2025 surveillance project detected California serogroup virus in two mosquito pools—Culex pipiens/restuans and Aedes cinereus—along the Sea-to-Sky corridor between Squamish and Pemberton.
- The project launched in summer 2025 following three pediatric encephalitis cases identified in the Whistler area during 2024, prompting investigation of mosquito-borne virus risks.
- Researchers collected 2,575 mosquitoes from 27 species at the UBC Department of Zoology, testing more than 170 pools at the BCCDC for CSGv and West Nile virus; West Nile was not detected.
- California serogroup virus encompasses 18 viruses, including Snowshoe Hare and Jamestown Canyon, typically causing asymptomatic or mild flu-like illness but rarely leading to encephalitis or meningitis in people.
- Stefan Iwasawa, a BCCDC vector specialist, said the project provided a "snapshot" of mosquito activity, adding that rising temperatures from climate change may increase human exposure to the virus.
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2 mosquito species in B.C. show results for virus that can cause human illness - Fort St. James Caledonia Courier
Two mosquito species that were tested as part of a surveillance project have shown positive results for a virus that can cause illness in people. The surveillance project was launched in summer 2025 in response to a cluster of pediatric encephalitis cases – swelling of the brain – in the Whistler area where invasive species and evidence of California serogroup virus among mosquitoes in the Sea-to-Sky region was detected. Three pediatric cases we…
2 mosquito species in B.C. show results for virus that can cause human illness - Grand Forks Gazette
Two mosquito species that were tested as part of a surveillance project have shown positive results for a virus that can cause illness in people. The surveillance project was launched in summer 2025 in response to a cluster of pediatric encephalitis cases – swelling of the brain – in the Whistler area where invasive species and evidence of California serogroup virus among mosquitoes in the Sea-to-Sky region was detected. Three pediatric cases we…
Penticton Western News
2 mosquito species in B.C. show results for virus that can cause human illness
Two mosquito species that were tested as part of a surveillance project have shown positive results for a virus that can cause illness in people. The surveillance project was launched in summer 2025 in response to a cluster of pediatric encephalitis cases – swelling of the brain – in the Whistler area where invasive species and evidence of California serogroup virus among mosquitoes in the Sea-to-Sky region was detected. Three pediatric cases we…
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