FRANCAIS

July 15, 2005

Three more birds have tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV) in Manitoba, one in the Assiniboine Regional Health Authority and two from the Interlake Regional Health Authority.  This brings the total number of birds testing positive for WNV to five.

Testing birds from the crow family provides evidence of West Nile virus in an area.  This testing has demonstrated the presence of WNV in the Assiniboine and Interlake regional health authorities; therefore, no further birds from these areas will be required for testing.  As of July 15, 159 birds have been submitted for testing for West Nile virus in Manitoba.

At this time, there have been no additional positive mosquito pools identified.  It is anticipated that WNV will continue to be detected in mosquito samples from additional communities in the coming weeks.  Testing of mosquitoes for WNV is ongoing at Cadham Provincial Laboratory.

At this time, there have been no human cases of West Nile virus identified in Manitoba in 2005.

As reported yesterday, preliminary information from traps this week indicates that the number of Culex tarsalis mosquitoes in most communities across southern Manitoba have substantially increased.

The risk of human exposure to WNV in Manitoba is rising and will continue to increase over the mid-summer period.

At this time, it is important to take personal protective precautions against mosquitoes and reduce standing water around your home.  Manitobans can reduce the risk of mosquito bites by:

·         reducing the amount of time spent outdoors during peak mosquito hours between dusk and dawn,

·         using appropriate mosquito repellent, and

·         wearing light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing.

Public information about West Nile virus is available by calling Health Links-Info Santé at 788‑8200 in Winnipeg or toll-free at 1-888-315-9257.  Additional information is available on the Manitoba Health website at http://www.gov.mb.ca/health/wnv, which is updated weekly with surveillance data.

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