What’s the buzz?: Sask. health ministry talks West Nile virus

The threat of West Nile virus has declined in Saskatchewan over the past few years, but the Ministry of Health is urging people to protect themselves against mosquito bites just the same.

“West Nile virus is now considered endemic in Saskatchewan,” Dr. Julie Kryzanowski, Saskatchewan’s deputy chief medical health officer, said in a media release. “While the number of Culex tarsalis mosquitoes detected in Saskatchewan has declined in recent years, taking precautions against mosquito bites is always a good idea.”

According to the ministry, most people who catch West Nile virus experience no or mild symptoms, but some may develop a more serious condition known as West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease.

There was only one neuroinvasive disease case in Saskatchewan in 2021, and no one has died of West Nile virus in the province since 2018.

The ministry said anyone who has been bitten by a mosquito and who experiences fever, confusion, neck stiffness or an unusually severe headache should seek medical attention.

West Nile virus was confirmed in a dead magpie in Regina in the summer of 2002, and the first human case was confirmed in the province in ’03.

The Ministry of Health plans to monitor for mosquitoes in Saskatoon, Regina and Estevan this year and will use that data, along with environmental conditions, to approximate the threat of West Nile virus provincially.

Weekly reports will be posted beginning in June on the Government of Saskatchewan website.

People can reduce the chances of mosquito bites by:

• Using appropriate insect repellent when outdoors;
• Wearing light-coloured, loose-fitting, long-sleeved tops and long pants when outdoors;
• Reducing the amount of time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn when Culex tarsalis mosquitoes are most active;
• Maintaining door and window screens so they fit tightly and are free of holes; and,
• Reducing mosquito habitat (standing water) around your home and yard.