With news Friday that the first crow of the year in Manitoba had died from West Nile virus, the Northwestern Health Unit said evidence of the virus has yet to show up here.
“We’ve sent in six or seven crows [in the past few weeks] but they all came back negative,” public health inspector Brian Norris said Tuesday, adding he received a report of another crow to send away just that morning.
“But if we ever do, we’ll certainly let the public know,” he noted.
Norris confirmed the health unit’s bird surveillance program—first established last year—once again is in effect.
“We’re accepting crows and ravens. All the health units in Ontario are sending them to the same lab [the Department of Pathobiology, Veterinary Clinical Studies at the University of Guelph], so they have to limit the types of birds they’ll accept,” he said.
“Jays are part of that family. So if there was a suspiciously high number of jays found, we’d still send them in,” added Norris.
The Kenora office of the health unit has sent in seven birds to be tested in the past three weeks while the office in Dryden has submitted eight. All results have come back negative so far.
To report a suspiciously dead crow or raven, contact Norris or Dave Coats at the health unit office here during normal office hours, or call the after-hours number (1-807-468-7109) with the following information:
•your name, address, and phone number;
•location of the bird, including the town or municipality and street address (if it is a rural property, please provide as accurate a location description as possible);
•the date the bird was first noticed;
•description of the bird (note the size, and colour of the feathers, eyes, and beak);
•if you are aware the bird showed any signs of unusual behaviour before it died;
•physical condition of the bird (if there are any signs of trauma or insect activity); and
•the cause of death, if known.
The bird may be suitable for testing:
•if it has recently died;
•if there are no maggots on it; and
•even if it has signs of injury or trauma.
If the bird is suitable, the health unit will pick it up and send it away for testing.
If you are told by the health unit that the bird is not suitable for testing, bury it under at least two feet of earth, or place it in two leak-proof bags and discard it in the garbage.
Last year in the Kenora-Rainy River District, a total of two crows—one from Dryden and one from the Kenora area—were confirmed to have died from West Nile virus.
As well, two horses—one in Rainy River and the other in Devlin—were confirmed positive for the virus last September and October, respectively, while a third horse from Littlefork, Mn. died due to West Nile in August.
The health unit will continue to collect reports of dead bird sightings and submit crows for testing when considered appropriate until the mosquito season definitely is over.
Updates on further positive test results will be provided when, and if, they occur, the health unit said.
The West Nile virus is spread to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected by biting an infected bird. Crows and ravens are particularly susceptible to the virus and thus serve as an effective early-warning indicator.
The virus is not spread by person-to-person contact, and it cannot be spread directly from bird to human, the health unit said.
The risk of becoming seriously ill as a result of an infection with West Nile virus is low. In fact, most people who become infected experience no symptoms or have a very mild illness, with fever, headache, muscle weakness, or body aches, the health unit reported.
Those at increased risk of severe illness are individuals over age 50 and those with weakened immune systems, it added.
Symptoms of West Nile virus encephalitis (the rare but serious form of the disease) include severe headache, stiff neck, nausea, and vomiting, and an altered level of consciousness and mental state.
The health unit advises that risk of exposure to the West Nile virus can be reduced by:
•removing any standing water on their property;
•maintaining swimming pools;
•turning over wading pools when not in use;
•ensuring eavestroughs are draining properly;
•replacing damaged screening on windows and doors;
•wearing light-coloured clothing when going outside;
•wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants between dusk and dawn; and
•using a personal insect repellent, following the manufacturer’s label instructions carefully, especially as it relates to children.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
