FRANCAIS

September 10, 2002

• 1 magpie in the RM of Cameron
• 1 American crow in the RM of Boissevain
• 2 American crows in Winnipeg
• 1 American crow in the RM of Wallace
• 1 American crow in the RM of Glenella
• 1 American crow in Portage la Prairie
• 1 blue jay in the Town of Altona
• 1 magpie in the RM of Hanover

• This brings the total number of birds from the crow family confirmed positive for West Nile to 73 in Manitoba.

• Two more positive mosquito pools have been identified in Winkler and in Winnipeg, bringing the total to seven positive pools so far this year.

• In Manitoba, the virus has also been previously found in geese, ducks, sentinel chickens, an owl and horses.

• There have been no human cases of West Nile virus diagnosed in this province.

• The risk of illness for any individual remains low. New populations of mosquitoes are less likely to be infected at this time of year. However, Manitobans should continue to take steps to protect themselves.

• Manitobans can 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.

• Hunting season is upon us. The extent to which West Nile virus may be present in wild game is unknown. The risk of West Nile virus transmission from handling or consuming game is considered very low. There have been no documented cases of West Nile virus being transmitted to hunters from game. However, hunters are encouraged to take precautions when handling, cleaning and cooking game birds and mammals including wearing gloves, hand washing and thorough cooking.

• 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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