News Releases

News Release - Manitoba

June 28, 2021

City of Brandon, City of Winnipeg to Provide Additional Adult Mosquito Surveillance to Reduce Effects of West Nile Virus



Building on existing partnerships, the City of Winnipeg and the City of Brandon will provide additional adult mosquito surveillance, identification and related services required to mitigate the effects of West Nile virus (WNV), acting Health and Seniors Care Minister Kelvin Goertzen announced today.

“A key component to keeping Manitobans safe from West Nile virus is mosquito surveillance, which allows the risk to be assessed on a weekly basis during each season and ultimately guides the public health response,” said Goertzen. “Deepening our partnership with the cities of Winnipeg and Brandon will provide much-needed data to inform our response and minimize the number of WNV human cases which can have long-term health impacts.”

WNV is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause severe illness, including encephalitis (swelling of the brain), and can sometimes result in long-term complications and death. The risk of WNV varies from year to year based on precipitation, temperature, mosquito populations and other factors.

Surveillance involves trapping adult mosquitoes at various locations across the province. The data gathered from the surveillance network is used to assess seasonal trends in the mosquito numbers and WNV infection rates. This determines if the WNV exposure risk is significant enough to require mosquito control and or targeted communications about the risk to the public.

“This season, the City of Winnipeg increased its insect control operations to assist the province with West Nile Virus surveillance,” said Mayor Brian Bowman, City of Winnipeg. “The scope of Winnipeg’s surveillance will now be expanded to include rural municipalities, on a cost-recovery basis, within a one-and-a-half-hour drive of Winnipeg. We are pleased to be able to more fully utilize city expertise to assist with West Nile Virus surveillance and contribute to minimizing health impacts for residents across the province.”

"The City of Brandon has been utilizing a Mosquito Abatement Program for many decades,” said Mayor Rick Chrest, City of Brandon. “We're pleased to be partnering with the province to ensure a concerted effort is made to reduce the possibility of mosquito populations and WNV.”

Data will be reported weekly to the Manitoba government to assist in determining what public health steps need to be taken to reduce the risk of WNV. The contracts are in place for the 2021 season. Funding for adult mosquito surveillance and identification in Brandon and Winnipeg is approximately $107,000 while the total value of the agreements is approximately $472,000, Goertzen said.

Goertzen noted that protecting yourself against WNV helps protect the health-care system, which continues to see significant admissions due to COVID-19. Between 2012 and 2018, there were 112 cases of WNV in Manitoba. Nearly 40 per cent of these cases were hospitalized and 11 required intensive care.

While some people who get WNV show no symptoms and do not become ill, others may show mild symptoms such as headache, fever, fatigue and body aches. To learn more about symptoms and how to protect yourself, visit www.gov.mb.ca/health/wnv/index.html.

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION ATTACHED




Backgrounder
Background Information - https://www.gov.mb.ca/asset_library/en/newslinks/2021/06/BG-West_Nile_Virus_Contracts-HSC.pdf