FRANCAIS

August 01, 2002

• On Aug. 1, 2002, one crow from the Rural Municipality of Louise in south central Manitoba tested presumptive positive for West Nile virus.
• West Nile virus is carried by mosquitoes. It can affect people, animals and birds. The risk to any one individual of becoming ill from West Nile virus continues to be very low in Manitoba. There are no confirmed human cases of West Nile virus infection in Manitoba.
• Public reporting of dead bird sightings from the crow family (crows, ravens, magpies, blue jays and gray jays) in Winnipeg and throughout rural Manitoba is still important. The pick-up of sighted dead birds is prioritized according to several factors, so response times will vary.
• All municipalities can play an active role by participating in efforts to reduce standing water, continuing to support public education and assisting with bird surveillance activities.
• Sixteen birds in Manitoba have now tested positive for West Nile virus:

Type of Bird	Location	Date Confirmed
Crow	Winnipeg	July 15, 2002
Crow	R.M. of St. Andrews	July 19, 2002
Crow	Winnipeg	July 19, 2002
Magpie	R.M. of Tache	July 23, 2002
Crow	Winnipeg	July 24, 2002
Crow	Winnipeg	July 25, 2002
Blue Jay	Winnipeg	July 25, 2002
Raven	Winnipeg	July 25, 2002
Blue Jay	Winnipeg	July 26, 2002
Crow	R.M. of Whitehead	July 26, 2002
Crow	Russell	July 27, 2002
Crow	R.M. of Riverside	July 27, 2002
Blue Jay	Winnipeg	July 27, 2002
Crow	Winnipeg	July 27, 2002
Crow	Winnipeg	July 27, 2002
Crow	R.M. of Louise	Aug. 1, 2002 Presumptive Positive

• Public information is available by calling Health Links at 788-8200 in Winnipeg or 1-888-315-9257 or checking the Manitoba Health Web site at: http://www.gov.mb.ca/health/wnv.

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