Second bird found in Canada with West Nile virus
Copyright 2001 Reuters
August 27, 2001
TORONTO - Canadian health officials confirmed last week that a second bird had tested positive for the West Nile virus, a disease that has killed ten people in the United States since 1999.
The latest test was conducted on a blue jay found in Oakville, Ontario, just west of Toronto. Another test earlier this week on a crow found in the border city of Windsor, Ontario, confirmed the virus had crossed into Canada.
The West Nile virus is common in birds and can be spread to humans via mosquitoes. The risk to people is very low and no human cases have been reported in Canada.
However the elderly, the very young and people with a low resistance to infections can be at risk and authorities will increase surveillance in southwestern Ontario, said an Ontario health official.
"Because we know this is the time of the year when we are most likely to find the positive birds, we will await the next two weeks with great interest," said Dr Bob Nosal, Medical officer of Health for Halton Region, west of Toronto.
"What it really does is put up a red flag for surveillance."
Nosal said dead birds and trapped mosquitoes would be sent for tests at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
"They're going to see if they can find the West Nile virus in the mosquito pool. We want to find out where the hotspots are," Nosal told Reuters.
Humans infected with the West Nile virus usually show few or only mild flu-like symptoms. In rare cases the disease can cause encephalitis, an inflammation of the lining of the brain, and affect the spinal cord.