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The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, August 19, 2003-9 Second Halton crow tests positive for West Nile scalipu Infected birdfound The most reetdt vial hw h is lower than the an period last year. led Io siower mosquito, breeding. at (905) fo nmberof rportd ded crws hlwee He l,ýonote the c Oxe vethethi Il arpuPrif) -)u il fi!,! t;,nct -ýI 878-2341. in nearll->x GCf"Oraruf,,)li !y JASON MISNER The Champion A Second dead crow in Halton this year has tested positive for West Nule virus. Il sVas found ini Georgetown August 6 and sent to animai heaith laboratorjes in Guelph for lesting. The resuîts came back August 11. The region's first dead crow with the mosquito-bone virus was found in south Burlington Iast month in the same area where i-lton's ftrst positive mosquito pool with the virus was found. Regional hcalth officiais. in the mean- time, are awaiting test resuits fronn a dead erow found in Oakville. Crows are a gond indicator of the pres- ence and intensity of the virus and is a rea- son why health officiais are stili urging res- idents to eall (905) 825-6187 to report dead crows. More than 390 dead crows have been reported to the hcaith department so far this year. The hcaith departmient is intcresîed in knowing if West Nule is present in ail four municipalities. This time of the year wili prove crucial in determintng how widespread West Nile infection might bc. especially among humans. Data from, the regional health departruent showcd lasi year that Halton experienced maýjor spikes in the nomber of dead crows reported in the first couple of weeks of August. That was fllowed by increased nom ers of humait cases a couple of wceks later. The first human case of West Nile lit 2003 WUSTAR SPOM WMGO 2003 WN~DTM LX UTUUTY Canada was reported in a Burîinglon resi- 38L SOI Engie Heaedsignai mirs RMnua keyle esnd do P splauoai overris dent laie last August. Ai cGuC nmn Qink e eoekesonny dUnn e Halton -last year«s North American 215ý65R- 16BSW ties Fogan AMF SronCDýa onng k an5R m5 on tre PowerMFSeoC aniimn cru Ponde ORane seaSWn er hotspoi for West Nile -had 59 humanPoeom np SoeOnaesa p cases. No one died. but niany experienced $0 $TH severe illness, like headaches, muscle aches, fatigue and dificulty waiking. oOWN 4180o~ ~l ~ G No human cases yet So far no human cases have been report- cd in Halton this year. Last ycar, 20 people in Canada died from contracting West Nule What seems to be helping to, keep infect- cd mosquito, populations at bay and keep- ing down the number of crows dying from West Nile is the Region's Iarviciding pro--20 l5 42_ M F 04X gramn said Peter Willanott, the director of F 042SYEC W A M C .CBL Haiton's public health departiment. STYI.EEI RN CAS *4,2L FI V6 eogine, 4 spd 40/60 oplit bench Laria! sentes - Traiter towisg group "'N'reoptmisie hattheappicaion1 .2L EPI V6 ergine, 4 spd Alumosum wheels P257R-61W i-eao r oldnrg Poe nlel anios -t ato Lowter twotan chains catch basins and standing water is reducing attJntic overdrive *4060 spit belli tiresti odfcnn ltuM tm oto o »w an the (mosquito) larval population," he said. ý4 "That was the objective of thc larviciding pfl program." Auiu htl lc eomnr Earlier this spring. the Region. as part of mts comprechensive West Nule baîtie plan, instituted a larviciding program. It involves the dropping of environmcntally safe, slow-dissolving pestictde pellets mbt catch basins and standing watcr to help stunt the formation of adult mosquitoco that can bite and infect birds and possibly pass the virus on to humans. A Stoney Creek-based contractor for theA Region larvicided 37.(«0 catch bastns in June. July and on Monday started ils finai round. Il ba .s also iarvicided 38 nstanding pools of F R I C L water in Halton so far this year. Mn. Willmott said a strong tndicator thait the larvieiding prograru seems tc, be work- ing is that tesîiing of 5010e of the sites ater- ward bas shovwn no further developinent of j mosquitoes. .