West Nile program wraps up for 2006 with decrease in number of cases

The Region has finished its West Nile virus surveillance program for the season. The health department reports it wrapped up monitoring last month and is already focusing on surveillance plans for 2007. Lisa Fortuna, Halton's acting supervisor of environmental health, said 2006 saw one human case of West Nile in a Burlington woman. This is down from last year, when four Burlington residents and one Oakville citizen contracted the virus. A major part of the Region's surveillance program comes through dead birds the public reports, with 1,383 being called in this year. This is up from last year's 1,277. Of those found this season, four crows-- three found in Burlington and one in Halton Hills-- tested positive for West Nile, along with two blue jays discovered in Oakville. And last year, nine crows-- five in Burlington, two in Oakville and one each in Halton Hills and Milton-- were found to have the virus and 11 blue jays, with five of them from Burlington, four in Oakville and two in Halton Hills. Seventeen mosquito pools also tested positive for West Nile this year. Three of those were in Burlington, nine in Oakville, two in Halton Hills and three in Milton. This is slightly down from last year, when 24 pools positive pools were found-- nine in Burlington and 15 in Oakville. In addition to dead bird surveillance, the Region's West Nile program includes monitoring human cases and standing water sites, setting up mosquito traps, larviciding catch basins and educating the public. For more information visit www.halton.ca.