July 19, 2005
In addition to those communities previously announced (West St. Paul and East Kildonan, Winnipeg), West Nile virus positive mosquito samples have been identified in the following communities in southern Manitoba:
Altona
Boissevain
Carman
Steinbach
Winkler
Winnipeg – Transcona.
All of the samples were collected during the week of July 10 to 16. The average number of Culex tarsalis mosquitoes ranged from 500 to 6,000.
It is anticipated WNV will be detected in mosquito samples in additional communities over the next few weeks. Testing of mosquitoes for West Nile virus is ongoing at Cadham Provincial Laboratory.
As the province nears the end of July, and with the identification of increasing numbers of Culex tarsalis mosquitoes and infected mosquito samples, the risk of exposure to West Nile virus is increasing.
The importance of taking personal protective precautions against mosquitoes and reducing standing water around homes continues to increase in both urban and rural areas. 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 regularly with surveillance data.
- 30 -