Manitoba reports 4th case of West Nile virus as province to ramp up fogging in hot spot areas
Manitoba has reported its fourth case of the West Nile virus this season, prompting the province to increase mosquito fogging efforts in affected areas. Health officials advise residents to take precautions against mosquito bites.
Why it matters
Public health warnings regarding vector-borne diseases are critical for community safety and disease prevention.
The latest infection was reported this week in the Southern Health region, bringing the total number of reported human cases this year to four — one confirmed and three probable infections, the latest provincial update said on Friday.
The mosquito that transmits West Nile, Culex tarsalis , has been found in high numbers in the rural municipality of West St. Paul, where there's also evidence of high infection rates, the province said.
Fogging with DeltaGard 20EW is expected in West St. Paul this weekend.
Culex tarsalis mosquitoes were found in all 21 Manitoba communities where trapping occurs during the week of Aug. 9 to 15.
Though numbers of Culex tarsalis decreased across the board compared to the first week of August, provincial averages for the virus-carrying mosquito also remained higher than the historical average for the second week of August.
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