Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care - Health Care Providers - Program - Public Health - West Nile virus Bulletin - Volume 2 / Issue 6

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West Nile virus Bulletin : 2001 Archive
Disease Control Service Public Health Branch	Volume 2 / Issue 6 – August 21, 2001

IN THIS ISSUE

Summary of Ontario Surveillance Activities
West Nile virus Surveillance in Ontario
Human Encephalitis Surveillance
Mosquito Surveillance

Dead Bird Surveillance
Other News
U.S. National Maps
Maps

Summary of Ontario Surveillance Activities
Human Surveillance	No confirmed cases in the year 2001.
Mosquito Surveillance	A pilot program for mosquito surveillance has been initiated in six Ontario Heath Units. Windsor and Halton will be added to this program by August 22.
Dead Bird Surveillance	A total of 2,091 dead birds have been sighted and/or collected in Ontario. Of these, 1,272 were collected and sent to Guelph for consideration, and of these, 803 were sent to Winnipeg for West Nile virus (WNV) testing. There are two birds that were presumptive positive as of August 20, 2001. One crow was found in Windsor on August 8 and one blue jay in Oakville on August 13.
Summary of surveillance activities in other jurisdictions to date
Canada
As of August 16, 2001, there have been 3,148 dead birds reported to the WNv Dead Bird Surveillance program for all Canadian provinces.
U.S.
Human Cases :
Florida (2 cases) and New York (1 case) have identified human cases of WNv as of August 17, 2001.
Birds and Mosquitoes :
As of August 17, 2001, 715 dead birds and 175 WNv-positive mosquito pools that tested positive for WNv have been reported in 2001.
Horses and Other Animals :
Florida (17 horses) and Pennsylvania (1 horse) have reported 18 WNv-positive horses as of August 17, 2001.

WNv Surveillance in Ontario

The purpose of the WNv Bulletins is to provide a summary of the results of the various surveillance activities in Ontario for the current year. This issue will update WNv findings elsewhere in Canada and in the U.S.

WNv Activities in Ontario for the Year 2001

Human Encephalitis Surveillance

Health Canada has asked that key health care providers, including family and emergency room physicians, infectious disease specialists and neurologists, monitor their patients for symptoms of WNv in 2001. These health care professionals are being asked to promptly report any probable and confirmed cases of viral encephalitis to local/provincial public health authorities.

REMINDER

Physicians (Hospital, clinic, private practice) :
- Send blood samples from suspect WNv patients to the Central Public Health Laboratory (CPHL) in Toronto for serological testing to :
  
  Central Public Health Lab
  81 Resources Road
  Toronto, ON
  M9P 3T1
- Report suspect WNv cases immediately to the local Medical Officer of Health and fax "Patient Report Form"
Health Units :
- Report suspect WNv cases immediately by telephone to Dr. Margaret Fearon.
  
  Dr. Margaret Fearon
  416-235-5725 (pager : 416-715-4209)
  (After hours duty officer : 416-605-6113)
- Report suspect WNv cases immediately by telephone to Dr. Chuck Le Ber or Dr. Dean Middleton at the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC), Public Health Branch.
  
  Dr. Chuck Le Ber
  416-327-7421
  
  Dr. Dean Middleton
  416-327-7422
- Report suspect WNv cases in RDIS under the disease "viral meningitis/encephalitis" as outlined in the April 27, 2001 letter to all MOH and Communicable Disease Coordinators from Dr. Colin D'Cunha regarding Enhanced Passive Human Surveillance for West Nile Encephalitis.

Mosquito Surveillance in Ontario

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) has requested the assistance of six health units to take part in a mosquito surveillance program. The six health units are Eastern Ontario, Leeds, Hastings, Toronto Public Health, Hamilton, and Niagara. The program began in early August, 2001.

As of August 22, mosquito surveillance will have begun in Windsor and Halton because of the presumptive-positive WNv birds.

Dead Bird Surveillance

This bulletin summarizes information up to, and including, the 33^rd week of the Dead Bird Surveillance season (Week 33 = Aug 13 to 17, 2001). There have been a total of 2,091 reported dead bird sightings and/or submissions. Of these 2,091 birds, 1,272 were picked up and sent to the lab in Guelph for WNv testing ("pick-ups"), of which 803 were submitted for testing at the national laboratory in Winnipeg ("submissions"). Maps stating the number of dead bird submissions to the lab will be provided weekly to health units.

Figure 1. Ontario Reported Number of WNv Surveillance Program Dead Birds (August 16, 2001)
(N=2091*)

* Omitted from graph : 74 reported dead birds = missing, 3 reported dead birds = prior to season

Data Source : Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre, Health Canada, August 16, 2001

Note :

Week 16 = April 16-20, 2001
Week 30 = August 13-17, 2001

Figure 2. Types of Ontario Dead Birds Reported in 2001 Season as of August 16, 2001

Type of Bird	Frequency	Per cent	Valid Per cent	Cumulative Per cent
American Crow	1158	55.4	55.4	55.4
Blue Jay	564	27.0	27.0	82.4
Common Raven	15	0.7	0.7	83.1
Other Birds	354	16.9	16.9	100.0
Total	2091	100.0	100.0

Figure 3. Total Number of Dead Bird Reports in 2001 by Ontario Health Units as of August 16, 2001 (n=2,091)

Note : Pickups are health unit submissions to the lab in Guelph, whereas Submissions refer to dead birds sent to the lab in Winnipeg for Federal WNv Testing.

Data Source : Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre & Health Canada, August 16, 2001

Other News

Worldwide Geographic Distribution

WNv has been described worldwide, and is no longer limited to African and Eurasia.

North American Geographic Distribution

The American media has paid much attention to state health departments and local units with respect to their choices regarding the spraying of chemical pesticides.

Table 1. Number of birds, mosquito pools, horses and humans that have tested positive for WNv in the U.S., 2001.

State	Birds	Mosquito Pools	Horses	Humans
Connecticut	18	3
D.C.	22
Florida	32		17	2
Georgia	10
Louisianna	1
Massachusetts	80	5
Maryland	144	8
New Jersey	249	101
New York	112	54		1
Ohio	1
Pennsylvania	10		1
Rhode Island	5	4
Virginia	2
TOTAL	715	175	18	3

Source : Health Canada, August 16, 2001.

U.S. National Maps

Maps of the United States WNv Surveillance Programs can be accessed through the United States Geological Survey : Center for Integration of Natural Disaster Information (CINDI) Web site.

Maps

Dead Birds Submitted for WNv Diagnosis by Health Unit in Ontario as of August 20, 2001.
[PDF version]
Birds Submitted for WNv Diagnosis by Health Region in Canada as of August 20, 2001.
[PDF version]

Acknowledgements

The contribution of the following agencies and individuals in the publication of this year's issues of the WNv Bulletin is greatly appreciated :

Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) : Public Health Branch : Dr. Colin D'Cunha, Dr. Charles Le Ber and Dr. Dean Middleton.

Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre : Dr. Ian Barker and Ron Templeman.

Health Canada : Dr. Peter Buck and Rob Meyers.



Comments, questions and suggestions about surveillance results in this bulletin should be directed to : Dr. Dean Middleton, Veterinary Consultant, Disease Control Service, Tel: 416-327-7422, E-mail : dean.middleton@moh.gov.on.ca

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