Canadian health officials said the first human case of West Nile virus was identified three weeks earlier than usual, prompting health officials to wonder if conditions are ripe for an epidemic.
Manitoba resident Gilles Brunette, 53, tested positive for the virus last week after donating blood to Canadian Blood Services.
Brunette was diagnosed three weeks earlier than the virus usually appears in this part of Canada.
"I gave blood on Tuesday and Wednesday I was told I had West Nile virus," Brunette told Â鶹´«Ã½.
Brunette had experienced mild flu-like symptoms including a rash, body aches and a fever."I just took Tylenol and that seemed to work for me," Brunette said.
Most people who contract West Nile experience similar minor symptoms, but the virus can cause fatal inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or affect the membranes covering the brain or spinal cord.
While health officials are not predicting an epidemic will occur this summer, they are finding more Culex tarsalis mosquitoes, which carry the West Nile virus, and the numbers are soaring early in the season.
In June 2006, just two culex tarsalis mosquitoes were found in the Winnipeg area. This year the Culex tarsalis number jumped to 389.
The virus is spread by mosquitoes that have fed on the blood of infected birds.
West Nile virus is closely related to the viruses that cause Dengue fever, Yellow fever and St. Louis encephalitis.
The rising numbers prompted officials in Winnipeg to order fogging trucks to conduct mass sprayings in the area. The chemical malathion is sprayed to help contol the insect population.
In 2006, 127 human cases of West Nile virus were reported across Canada:
- 24 in Alberta
- 11 in Saskatchewan
- 50 in Manitoba
- 41 in Ontario
Public health officials recommend applying mosquito repellent with DEET to protect against bites. Protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts, pants and hats are also recommended.
In order to reduce that chance of mosquito breeding, experts recommend draining standing water from items like pools covers, garbage cans and flower pots.
With a report from CTV Winnipeg's Jill Macyshon
