FRANCAIS

August 22, 2002

• Five additional horses have died in southern Manitoba and have tested positive for West Nile virus. This brings to 10 the number of horses known to have had the virus in Manitoba.
• The five additional positive horses were found in the RMs of St. Andrews, Lansdowne, Lorne and Argyle.
• Horse owners should watch for symptoms related to the central nervous system such as listlessness, muscle twitches, loss of appetite, lack of co-ordination and weakness. If these symptoms exist, a veterinarian should be consulted.
• Horse owners are encouraged to consider preventive steps to help protect their animals. These include stabling horses at night in a barn with mosquito netting in place, using insect sprays and repellents, and burning smudges where permitted to reduce mosquito activity near horses. Reducing the amount of tall vegetation near corrals and barns and reducing standing water will also help. A conditional use vaccine is also accessible through veterinarians.
• The West Nile virus has been found in one flock of geese in the RM of Stanley. Goslings (young geese), similar to birds from the crow family, are vulnerable to the virus, unlike adult geese and other domestic poultry which are much less likely to become ill.
• Bird surveillance efforts will now focus on birds from the crow family in eastern and northern Manitoba where the virus has not been detected. The 42 birds found to date confirm the presence of the virus in most of southern Manitoba.
• The risk for any individual becoming ill with the virus remains low. There have been no cases of West Nile virus diagnosed among people in Manitoba. Manitobans are still encouraged to:
• minimize mosquito bites by fixing screens, wearing protective clothing, using mosquito repellent with DEET and reducing the amount of time spent outdoors during peak mosquito hours at dawn and dusk;
• reduce standing water around their property such as water that may collect in old tires, children’s toys, eavestroughs, wading pools or stagnant ponds, or under flower pots; and
• continue to report dead birds only from the crow family which includes blue jays, ravens, magpies, grey jays and crows.

• 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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