News Releases

A fourth death related to a West Nile virus infection of a person in Manitoba in 2007 has been identified.

 

The person, a male in his 40s who was a resident of the Winnipeg health region, had West Nile virus neurological syndrome and died in August 2007. At the time of his death, the patient had other medical conditions.  A blood test for West Nile virus was not done at that time.

 

The diagnosis was made during subsequent testing of tissue taken during the autopsy and the chief medical examiner recently brought the cause of death to the attention of the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. No additional information about this individual will be released to protect his personal health information. 

 

Human cases of West Nile virus were first reported in Manitoba in 2003.  Including this latest case, there have been seven reported deaths in Manitoba related to West Nile virus since 2003.  Four deaths occurred in the summer of 2007.

 

The number of cases of West Nile virus neurological syndrome in previous years has ranged from one to 72 cases per summer.  Between 2003 and 2007, 135 cases of West Nile virus neurological syndrome have been reported in Manitoba. 

 

A total of 586 Manitobans tested positive for West Nile virus in 2007 including:

·         72 cases of West Nile neurological syndrome,

·         501 cases of non-neurological syndrome,

·         nine cases which were asymptomatic or showing no symptoms, and

·         four cases which are unclassified.

 

Additional information on West Nile virus in Manitoba and data on human cases including classification of disease (West Nile neurological syndrome, West Nile non-neurological syndrome or asymptomatic), decade of age, gender, regional health authority of residence and likeliest area of exposure is provided at www.gov.mb.ca/health/wnv.

  

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