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 were identified in 2024.
The pilot projec