Two Ontario families who lived through West Nile virus want you to know it is not as rare or as distant as people assume. Their stories land in the two months when cases peak, weeks after the virus reappeared in Ontario mosquito pools.
What happened to two Ontario families after ordinary mosquito bites?
At 60, André Gagné of Milton, Ontario was healthy, working for Canada Post and renovating homes. Then a bite, likely from a mosquito in his own neighbourhood since he had not travelled, changed all of it. He told CBC News his flu-like symptoms worsened until he lost his balance, limbs dragging as he ran into walls. He spent the next eight months in hospital. Lisa Applegath's sister Carmen, a well-known Leaside chef, died in February 2026 after a six-month battle with West Nile encephalitis. Both illnesses began with mosquito bites nobody thought twice about, the blind spot that also lets tick bites pass unnoticed.
How often does a fever after a mosquito bite turn serious?
Rarely, and that context matters. A fever after a mosquito bite is usually nothing, since most people infected have mild flu-like symptoms or none. Gagné was diagnosed with West Nile neuroinvasive disease, the severe form occurring in fewer than one per cent of infections, when the virus reaches the nervous system. He lost roughly 32 kilograms (70 pounds) in a month while paralyzed, and now lives with paralysis and memory loss. He and his wife have spent more than $20,000 out of pocket on rehabilitation and support. His message is one of caution and hope, since he believes recovery is possible.
Why do cases peak now, and what does standing water have to do with it?
According to Public Health Ontario, reported cases of West Nile virus peak in August and September, the highest-risk window of the year. Dr. Richard Mather, a public health physician with the agency, told CBC News the province recorded 181 cases last year, the highest ever reported in Ontario, surpassing the record of 159 set in 2017. Toronto, Niagara, and Windsor and Essex were hardest hit, and Toronto Public Health confirmed the city's first human case of 2026 on July 30. Mosquitoes carrying the virus have tested positive this season in Toronto, York, Halton, and Hamilton. Mather said there is no steady upward trend, though officials expect warming to bring more mosquitoes. This is where standing water matters, because birdbaths, clogged eavestroughs, and forgotten toys become a mosquito nursery within days.
Which precautions work, beyond insect repellent?
There is no vaccine and no dedicated antiviral treatment, so prevention is the entire game. Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist at Toronto General Hospital, told CBC News that treatment is supportive only, and recommends long sleeves, bug spray, and clearing standing water. That is worth a walk around the yard, emptying anything holding water, covering rain barrels, and fixing screens. At dawn or dusk, insect repellent and long layers do most of the work, and the same habit pays off for ticks, whose reports have climbed in Canada. The other half is recognizing trouble, since fever, severe headache, stiff neck, confusion, or sudden weakness after exposure deserves prompt medical attention.
Common questions about West Nile virus
What are the symptoms of West Nile virus?
cause no symptoms at all. When symptoms appear, they are usually flu-like, including fever, headache, body aches, and sometimes a rash, starting within about two weeks of a bite. Severe West Nile virus illness is rare but can involve stiff neck, confusion, weakness, or paralysis, and needs immediate care, not a long ER wait.
Who is most at risk of severe illness?
Risk of severe illness rises with age, and weakened immune systems raise it too. Both Ontario cases involved active adults in their sixties with no known vulnerability, which is part of why the families are speaking publicly. Anyone bitten where the virus circulates can develop illness, much like summer bugs that travel.
How do you stop mosquitoes from breeding around your home?
Remove standing water weekly. Empty birdbaths, plant saucers, buckets, and toys, clear eavestroughs, cover rain barrels, and change pet water bowls often. Mosquitoes need only days and a little water to breed, so frequency matters more than thoroughness on any one occasion.
If a summer illness is not clearing
Most infections never approach what these families experienced, but a lingering fever with headache or confusion should not be waited out, any more than the heat symptoms that fill emergency rooms are. Check wait times and book a walk-in clinic visit near you, and the Medimap Health Hub has more on seasonal health risks across Canada.
General information, not medical advice. If you or someone you know has a severe headache with fever, a stiff neck, confusion, or sudden weakness, seek medical care immediately or call 911.
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