On the eve of tourist season out here in the mosquito-laden woods, the South Bruce Chamber of Commerce has started a discussion forum for visitors and tourism operators to open up about the fears and facts surrounding the West Nile Virus.

And it's not terribly encouraging: The Chamber relays the Health Canada warnings to simply "Limit your exposure" by locking yourself indoors behind sealed windows and no-hole screens, and advises 10% (!) DEET for youngsters and up to 30% for others particularly at risk.

All that doesn't bode particularly well for an area where we pride ourselves on rustic cabins and sunset beaches! As someone who lives here, with children so sealing the hatches is simply not an option, I decided to ask google for some seasoned responses and got them in spades, starting with the Center for Disease Control West Nile FAQ where you can get some sane advice like the following:

Q. If I live in an area where birds or mosquitoes with West Nile virus have been reported and a mosquito bites me, am I likely to get sick?

A. No. Even in areas where the virus is circulating, very few mosquitoes are infected with the virus. Even if the mosquito is infected, less than 1% of people who get bitten and become infected will get severely ill.

Which is very good to know: The chances you will become severely ill from any one mosquito bite are extremely small ... and contact via mosquito bite appears to be the only way humans can contract the disease (ie, you can safely eat a cooked bird).

WNV is not an automatic thing, it's not a given. It's a risk, sure, but wilderness is always a risk, and West Nile is a tiny one that must be kept in perspective.

To help keep this in perspective and keep everyone informed, we have added the Health Canada West Nile Virus Monitor to the site-cloud sidebar on the Peninsular -- you don't have to bookmark it, because we're already watching it, and if there's any new data to report, the Peninsular will have it within the hour.

As for what you and I can do? The very best thing we can do is exactly what you and I did to rid our region of rabies some years ago: Report all suspicious wildlife immediately (and do not touch dead birds).