Latest news with #pipiens
Global News
06-08-2025
- Health
- Global News
Near-record rainfall in Calgary prompts soaring number of complaints about mosquitoes
'I hate mosquitoes,' said Hayato Nagashima as he and a friend prepared to take a walk in Fish Creek Park on Tuesday. It's a familiar refrain heard from many Calgarians following several weeks of unseasonably soggy weather. 'I can't even go into our backyard without getting eaten alive,' said Tracy Elliott-Suliak. 'We tried to go for a walk in the bird sanctuary the other day and I got chased right out. It's just, it's bad.' John Sohigian, an assistant professor in the faculty of veterinary medicine at the University of Calgary, confirms there are a lot more of the pests buzzing around the city lately — likely because of all the rain that fell during the month of July. In a normal year, Calgary would see about 66.2 mm of precipitation in July, but this year the city experienced its third wettest July on record with 167.5 mm of rain falling on the city — making in the third wettest July on record. Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen With close to three times the normal amount of rainfall falling in July this year, there are lots of possible breeding areas for mosquitoes in Calgary. Global News Aside from being extremely annoying, some mosquitoes can also carry nasty viruses. 'So one of the things that we are doing in my lab now is we're testing mosquitoes for West Nile virus, as well as for a group of viruses called California Cerro group viruses — so these are two of the viruses that we're somewhat concerned about being in Alberta,' added Sohigian. In most cases people who become infected with the West Nile virus won't even notice it — but in rare cases, West Nile can lead to severe illnesses that affects the brain or spinal cord. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The symptoms include fever, headache, feeling very tired, body aches, a rash and swollen glands. More serious symptoms may include severe headache, confusion, tremors or convulsions, muscle weakness or paralysis, and in the most severe cases, coma, brain damage and death. Story continues below advertisement This year, Sohigian and his fellow researchers are also tracking a different species of mosquito that's relatively new to Alberta called the culex pipiens — or northern house mosquito — and is known in other parts of the world to carry the West Nile virus. 'We haven't found any yet. It's still early in the year for that though because normally we see West Nile virus later in the year here,' said Sohigian. 'As mosquito populations pick up and then they start biting more birds and other animals that would have that virus, that's when the mosquitoes pick it up.' The northern house mosquito is also more commonly found in rain barrels and other suitable habitat that people have in their backyard. Culex pipiens, also known as the northern house mosquito, is a common carrier of the West Nile virus. University of Calgary Calgarians are also being asked to help track the different species of mosquitoes by taking part in a citizen science project at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary or Ralph Klein Park. Story continues below advertisement People who spot mosquitoes or get bitten while visiting the two parks are being asked to pick up a mosquito sampling kit, drop the mosquito in a small vial, fill out a little information form and drop it all in a collection box. 2:00 Pilot project launched to study mosquitoes in Calgary parks Sohigan said anyone who is worried about mosquitoes should also take a look around their backyard. 'If you have things like water barrels that are uncovered, you could put screens over them or that kind of thing, or if you have flower pots that hold water at the base, you could try dumping that water periodically. Changing (the water in) bird baths or dog bowls or put a screen over top of water barrels to keep the mosquitoes out. That kind of thing will help keep mosquitoes out of our backyards,' said Sohigan. View image in full screen People who are worried about being bitten by mosquitoes are being advised to reduce their risk by looking around their backyard and get rid of any standing water. Global News And the best way to protect yourself when you are outdoors — in places where you think mosquitoes might be around — is to use bug spray. Story continues below advertisement 'Just kind of take some simple precautions to protect yourself and I don't think Calgarians have too much to worry about if they do those steps,' added Sohigan Still, said Madison Shidler, as she and her daughter covered themselves with bug spray as they headed out for walk, the mosquitoes still seem to find a place to bite. 'We spray down every single day and they'll get like that little sliver of skin between your sock and your pant leg, or some have actually gone through the clothing before. It's kind of been rough lately,' added Shidler. 'They've been attacking pretty hard.'
Global News
29-05-2025
- Health
- Global News
Calgary researchers using ‘citizen science' for a study on invasive mosquitoes
The City of Calgary and the University of Calgary are hoping to enlist the public's help on a study of mosquitoes in the city. It is taking place in two city parks — the Inglewood bird sanctuary and Ralph Klein Park. The researchers are focusing on a mosquito known by its scientific name — culex pipiens — or more commonly as the northern house mosquito. It's an invasive species native to Europe and Asia and until recently, thought only to be found in British Columbia and Eastern Canada. That changed in 2018 when one was detected in Edmonton, then in Calgary in 2022 and since then in Lethbridge and Red Deer too. Culex pipiens, also known as the northern house mosquito, is a common carrier of the West Nile virus. University of Calgary In other parts of the world it commonly transmits West Nile virus: a potentially deadly neurological disease that affects humans and other animals that is spread through a mosquito bite. Story continues below advertisement 'It is the mosquito that started West Nile virus in North America — in 1999 in New York when West Nile emerged there — that makes it a little bit of a concern here,' said Dr. John Soghigian from the University of Calgary's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'We do have native mosquitoes that transmit West Nile, but this mosquito does not compete with them in any way, so we are a little concerned about an additive effect,' added Soghigian. View image in full screen Aex Coker, an integrated pest management technician with the city of Calgary, seen here collecting samples of mosquito larvae from a storm pond, says there are about different 40 species of mosquitoes in the city. Global News 'We have probably 35 to 40 different species in Calgary and in terms of life cycle they all kind of lay their eggs in or near water and then the larvae will hatch in the water and live in the water,' said Alex Coker, an integrated pest management technician with the City of Calgary, who is also helping with the study. Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen Researchers from the City of Calgary and University of Calgary are hoping to enlist the public's help to determine how an invasive species of mosquito known to carry the West Nile virus, can survive Alberta's harsh winter. Global News Researchers will be posting information signs in the two parks and leaving a collection of small vials that people can use to catch mosquitoes — preferably before they bite. 'Inside the baggie that vial is found in, we have little sheet of paper,' said Soghigian. 'We ask you to write down the date, the time, and the location, and then we have a little barcode you can scan if you'd like to learn more about the project.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We ask you to write down the date, the time, and the location, and then we have a little barcode you can scan if you'd like to learn more about the project." The vial is then placed in a box where the researchers will later collect and take to them to a lab for testing on the type of mosquito and any viruses they may be carrying. 'We sample in Alberta for three different pathogens,' said Soghigian. 'The first is West Nile virus, the second is avian malaria — which we're concerned with for potential effects on bird communities — and the third is actually California serogroup viruses that are all very similar to each other and many of them can cause encephalitis, especially pediatric encephalitis.' Story continues below advertisement Researchers are also hoping the information collected will also help them learn more about how the invasive mosquitoes are surviving Alberta's harsh winters. 'This mosquito is called the house mosquito because it goes into people's houses, often in the winter, where it enters a state that's similar to hibernation called diapause,' said Soghigian. It is also well-adapted to using rain barrels, flower pots and any other small sources of standing water in people's yards as habitat. 'Last year we had a citizen science campaign where we asked Albertans to send us mosquitoes they found in their houses and most of the mosquitoes we got were this invasive mosquito,' added Soghigian. This year the researchers are also hoping to determine if it is commonly found around larger sources of water like many native species of mosquitoes. 1:40 What are the symptoms of West Nile virus?
