The Alberta Health Services wants all Albertans to take every precaution to protect themselves after a woman contracted a case of the deadly West Nile virus somewhere in the province.
It’s the first time the disease has been reported in Alberta since 2010.
Dr. David Strong of the AHS says the patient who contracted it is a woman under the age of 65.
Strong also says that there could be many more people with the disease but could mistake the symptoms for the common flu.
“Many of these people will completely recover but others will have residual problems after recovery - weakness in one or more limbs for instance. So it can be very serious,” Strong said.
On average, Alberta has fared well with the disease in comparison with other provinces.
Nationally, there have only been 34 cases of the virus this year.
Calgarians have mixed concern about the disease. “You don’t notice the insects here like you do in Southern Alberta,” says Greg Gibson.
Others say that after the initial concern, the awareness eventually fades.
Strong says there is no reason to fear an outbreak. “It’s hard to predict what might come next year. It’s a combination of warm weather and water.”
The best advice to prevent West Nile virus is to protect yourself from being bitten at all.
This can be done by:
- wearing mosquito repellent with DEET
- wearing long-sleeved, light-coloured shirts and pants
- wearing a hat
- staying indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active
The victim is expected to make a full recovery.
To find out more about West Nile you can access the AHS’ website at http://fightthebite.info/.
