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West Nile virus (WNv) is a mosquito borne infection that is usually spread between mosquitoes and birds. Mosquitoes can become carriers of the virus after biting birds carrying the virus.
Humans become infected mostly through bites from mosquitoes carrying the virus.
Most people infected with WNv will not get sick at all. About 20 per cent of people will have a mild to moderate illness that starts 3-14 days after being infected. Symptoms may include fever, headache, body aches, fatique, swollen lymph glands and sometimes a rash on the body. These symptoms generally last about a week or less but can last longer.
In rare cases - less than 1 per cent - WNv infection can result in more serious illness such as meningitis, which is inflammation of the lining of the brain, or encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain, or polio-like paralysis. People with more serious illness may have high fever, headache, confusion, weakness, and sometimes paralysis. It may rarely result in death. If you develop a severe headache or neck stiffness for which you cannot find a cause, or other symptoms of WNv, consult your doctor.
Although there is no specific treatment, medication or cure, many of the symptoms and complications of WNv can be treated. Most people who are infected with WNv get better. There is no human vaccine for WNv at this time.
West Nile virus is found in many parts of Africa, Western Asia and the northern Mediterranean area.
The first outbreak of WNv in North America was in 1999. WNv has been found in dead birds, mosquitoes, and horses, as well as people in most US states and across central and western Canada.
West Nile virus has spread across North America since 1999. There are many species of mosquitoes but only a small number of species can carry and transmit WNv. The mosquitoes that can carry WNv are present in BC. Public health officials will notify the public of the risk if birds or mosquitoes are found in the province carrying the virus. The risk may vary by region of the province during the summer and depends on the climate conditions.
Any activity that prevents mosquitoes from biting or breeding will help to reduce the risk of infection with WNv. There are many simple things that you can do to protect yourself from WNv:
Many types of birds can be infected with WNv. However, birds in the corvid family, including crows, blue jays and magpies, are very sensitive and likely to die from the virus. Officials test dead corvids to find out if WNv has moved into an area.
Each health authority has a program in place for collecting and testing samples of dead corvids. The public can report dead crows to their local health authority. Dead bird sightings can also be reported on the BC Centre for Disease Control website at http://westnile.bccdc.org/.
While birds reported on the website will not be picked up for testing, health authorities will be tracking the number of dead crows reported to help assess the risk of WNv. If you have questions about how dead crows are being collected in your area, please contact your local health authority.
While the risk of infection from handling birds is very low, the public should not handle wild birds or other animals, dead or alive, with their bare hands. If you need to move a dead bird, the following precautions should be taken:
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