Government is warning people to be on their guard over two potentially deadly mosquito-born viruses.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Cann said dengue fever was still a threat while West Nile virus, which is spreading through America and Canada, could hit the Island.

The West Nile virus, which can cause a lethal swelling of the brain, has spread from the North West states and took the life of an Atlanta women on Friday - the tenth person to die of the disease in America since 1999.

It has also appeared in Georgia and Virginia and hit the Toronto area for the first time with birds turning up dead from the disease.

Mosquitoes can transmit the virus from birds to humans and other animals.

Asked if the West Nile virus was a threat to Bermuda, Dr. Cann said: "The potential is there because of the close proximity to the United States."

But he said dengue fever is probably an even higher risk for residents because the mosquito which carries it is already on the Island.

He said: "We have a campaign going on to minimise further spreading of this."

He urged people to dump standing water from their gardens which acts as a breeding ground for the Aedes aegypti and Aedes Albopictus mosquitoes.

He said: "In a population which doesn't yet have the fever it can represent a real threat to us. In some cases it can be life threatening."

He said it could cause fatal haemorrhaging.

Government workers have been blitzing sites likely to carry the disease and monitoring possible dangerous mosquitoes.

Dr. Cann said: "We are keeping ditches screened and putting guppies in the water to eat the mosquito larvae.

"We have a whole crew to keep the mosquito population down."

Households thought to be harbouring likely breeding sites are asked to take action.

If they repeatedly ignore warnings they can end up in court - a test case is now pending.

However Dr. Cann stressed neither dengue nor West Nile had been spotted on the Island.

And he said the public could play a part in keeping Bermuda safe.

He said: "If you are travelling to areas which have it then you should take precautions and wear appropriate clothing and use mosquito repellent and find out which times of the day they are likely to bite."

He said fever sufferers should contact a doctor to see if they have the dengue disease which causes high fever, headache, muscle ache and joint pain.

The Ministry is expected to issue a further statement on dengue fever soon.