Health officials confirmed Tuesday that a southern Alberta woman has West Nile virus, marking the first human case in the province in two years.
The adult woman, under age 65, was infected with the non-neurological syndrome of the virus and is expected to recover, said Dr. David Strong, acting medical officer of health for Alberta Health Services’ (AHS) south zone.
“She has not had any travel outside Alberta, so she was infected by a mosquito in Alberta,” he said. “The risk is throughout the province.”
West Nile virus is carried by mosquitoes and passed to humans through bites. There are two separate forms of the virus that can develop, including non-neurological syndrome, which is less serious, and neurological syndrome.
West Nile non-neurological syndrome can cause fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, skin rash, swollen glands and headache.
“This is non-neurological [syndrome] of West Nile, so it’s always resolved,” Strong said, adding some symptoms can persist for months.
Neurological syndrome is most common in individuals over 50 and, in rare cases, can lead to death.
There is no treatment for the virus, other than supportive care, Strong said, adding prevention is key.
He recommends individuals use an insect repellant containing DEET, wear light-coloured clothing, cover the skin as much as possible and reduce outdoor activity at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
“These mosquitoes are prevalent throughout the province, so this risk is always going to be present,” he said, adding the risk is greater in the southern region.
He said the risk of West Nile virus will continue to climb until the temperature dips and the province experiences its first frost.
To date, 34 cases of West Nile virus have been confirmed in Canada, mostly in Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
In 2010, Alberta had one of the five confirmed cases of the virus across the country. There were 102 confirmed cases in Canada in 2011.
West Nile monitoring began in the province in 2002 and saw a spike in 2007, with 320 cases confirmed in Alberta of the 2,401 cases reported throughout the country.
