West Nile Virus Season 2012

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/wn-no/transmission-eng.php

It’s that time of the year once again.  Each summer in Canada, mosquito bites pose a potential risk for West Nile Virus (WNV).  The Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre has assisted the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) with surveillance of dead birds to better understand the presence of the virus in Canada.  This program was a vital effort to detect the virus as it made its initial spread into Canada.  Now that WNV has been found in most areas of the country each year, the CCWHC is no longer testing solely for WNV in dead birds.  It is however, still diagnosed in some birds that are submitted for regular diagnostic testing and mosquito populations are being monitored by government agencies to detect the presence of West Nile Virus in your area.  Although the risk of becoming infected with the virus is low (estimated that fewer than 1% of mosquitoes in any given area are infected with West Nile) the PHAC still recommends taking precautions to reduce your exposure, especially during the months of July and August when mosquito numbers tend to be highest.  Learn how you can reduce your risk of infection:

What is West Nile Virus?

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/wn-no/gen-eng.php

 How can I protect myself as well as my family?

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/wn-no/protect-proteger-eng.php

What are the symptoms of West Nile Virus?

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/wn-no/symptom-eng.php

To see the West Nile results from birds submitted to the CCWHC, please visit our website at: http://www.ccwhc.ca/wnv_report_2012.php