West Nile virus cases confirmed in Edmonton and southern Alberta: AHS

Alberta Health Services (AHS) is asking residents to “take precautions” as nine cases of West Nile have been confirmed in Alberta, two in Edmonton, and the other seven in the southern region.

Officials say five of the cases in the south were acquired in the last month, with three of them being diagnosed with West Nile neurological syndrome.

“After being bitten by a mosquito carrying West Nile virus, people can develop West Nile non-neurological syndrome (formerly known as West Nile fever) or the more serious West Nile neurological syndrome,” officials said in a news release.

AHS says the symptoms of the neurological syndrome tend to be more severe than the non-neurological syndrome, which often results from an infected bite.

This is because infected people can develop tremors, drowsiness, confusion, swallowing problems, high fever, unconsciousness, and paralysis, whereas non-neurological symptoms include fever, chills, nausea, skin rash, swollen glands and a headache.

Precautions being asked by AHS include wearing a long-sleeved, light-coloured shirt, pants, and a hat; staying indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active; and using a Health Canada-approved insect repellant (products containing DEET or Icaridin).

For infants younger than 6 months old, the health agency recommends using a mosquito net when babies are outdoors in a crib or stroller rather than using an insect repellent containing DEET, and for children 6 months to 2 years old, to use an insect repellent only when there’s a high risk of insect bites that can spread infections and diseases. It adds not to use it more than once a day.

According to the latest AHS data, Alberta had just one case of West Nile in 2020 compared to four in 2019 and 50 in 2018, the bulk of which were in southern Alberta.

More information on West Nile Virus can be found online or by calling Health Link at 811, and information on personal insect repellants can be found online.