The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

2-The Canadian Champion, Friday, March 26, 2004 Region set to fight West Nule for another season By JASON MISNER Halton Region's top heatth experts are crossing their I ingers that a $1 .2 million plan to battde West Nile virus yields similar results to lasi year, during which there were no bumnans infected witb the mosquito-bomne ilîness. On Tuesday, Halion's bealth and social services commnittee unanimously endorsed tbe healib departiment's recommended plan to figbt the spread of tbe potentially-deadly West Nile. Warmer weatber will greet the ares soon, increasing tbe possibility of Use virus transmùtting. The recommendation will go before regional counicil tbis Wednesday for ratification. The prograru, wbicb mirrors last year's, will sec another assauli wagcd on mosquito larvae -wbicb are not fully-matured mos- quiioes -by hiring a private contractor to poison tbousands of stonn-water catch basins and standing pools of water. BoUs sites -We w ill continue with thne pi ograti. As far as what the impact wil be, who knows. It's stfl an emerging diseu, kt bas Sot been heme long enough."1 are breeding grounds for the pesky bitera. As well, it will mnclude surveillance of the disease in mosquitoes, birds and humans, and public education. Also, aduliicidmng, whicb mnvolves the spraymng of a pesticide calîrd malatbion, will be used as a st resort to combat West Nule. The biggest difference ibis year is the 2004 budget is about Se. dealer for détails. 400 Steeles Avenue 905 875-1700 LEASESwww.mllton.toyota, ca $300,000 more than 200)3's. That's partly because the 38.000 catch rather thait the thrce uies done t.sst sLuine. A staff report stated tesîing by Use provincial goverrument of thc environmentally-safe pesticide, methoprene, sbowed it lasts 21 dsys and flot the 28 days as originally Usougbt. Methoprene will only be applied if larvae bave been found. Standing pools of waîer will be treated wiUs a product called Bti if larvae are detected. Il lasis seven days. The program's costs are to be shared equally wiUs Use Province, like il was lasi year. The uncertainty of Use impact of West Nile, given it was Oirsi dis- covered in NorUs America in 1999, makes it imaperative Usai a pro- tection/preventative programn be in place, Halton's medical officer of bealtb, Dr. Bob Nosal said after Use meeting. "We will continue wiUs tbe prograru," be said, noting there was West Nile activity in Use region last year. 'As far as what the impact will be, wbo knows. It's still an emerging disease, it bas not been bere long enougb. "We will bave a mucb benter idea after Usree or four years of this." The bealib departmient tbinks last year's prograru belped tbe region stave off any major West Nile onslaugbt. In addition, tbe natural bistory of Use disease, wbicb suggests it's moving west after starting in Use east Oive years ago, and a cooler, wetter spring in Halton likely limited Use influence of West Nile. In aIl, tbere wcre no buman cases of the disease last year and no one was bospitalized for baving any potential West Nile symp- toms. It was a different, and deadlier. story in 2002. There were 60 buman cases resulting in one deatb; 74 West Nile-positive mos- quito pools found versus only 19 last year; and a number of resi- dents were bospitalized for virus symptorus, like bigb fever and muscle wcakness. Oakville was a bot spot for Use virus Usat year. The results were alarming enougb Usat Use Ministiy of Healtb and Long-term Care pald McMaster University officials to conduci a blood survey of 1,500 residents in south Oakville. It concluded Use nisk of getting seriously ilI, like developing encepbalitis or meningitis, after contracting West Nile il bigber Usan bad been Usougbt. McMaster researcbers bave said Usey will do Useir own follow-up study to Oind out wby. Regional counicillors insist Use West Nile prograru is vital and are urging residenis to keep doing Useir part. Burlinigton Regional Councillor Rick Craven, chair of Use bealtb and social services commnittee, said bie lives nieur a ravine and was constantly draining bis outside bird cage of water. 1I was veîy conscienîious of Use expectation to Oigbt West Nile at Use neigbbourbood level. Wbai we need is Mother Nature t0 be on our aide anoUser year." 1I Usougbt Use level of citizen participation was a large part of tbe success of Use program," said Halton Chair Joyce Savoline. Results from a pbone survey conducted by York University for Use Region last year indicate residents are getting Use message, tbe staff report said. It sbowed 93 per cent knew bow tbe virus is spread and tbat more Usan eigbt out of every 10 people removed standing water on Useir property. Mosquitocs get West Nile froru an infected bird and pass it on t0 bumans tbrougb bites. Jason Misner can be reached at jmisner@Cnhilronc-anadzan- ciampion.com. Catholie board calendar 110W set Final exams are stitl tbree montbs away but the Halton Catholie District Scbool Board bas aficady approved ils 20X)4-05 sebool year calendar. At Tuesday's regular board meeting. trustees approveil a calen- dar consisting of t90 instructional days, four professional devet- opruent (PD) days and a variety of bolidays. Students (andl especially parents) will be intercstcd to note tbat the Oirst day of instruction will be Tuesday, Sept. 7. Tbe last day of instruction for secondary students will be Wednesday, June 29, 2005 wbîle for elementary pupils tis will tall on Tbursday. June 30, 2005. Examinations for secondary students bave been scbeduled for January 27 to February 5, 2005 and from, Jonc 22 to 28, 2005. Statutory bolidays and break periods for 2004-05 include: Labour Day, September 6; Tbhanksgiving, October Il; Cbristmas Break, December 20 to 3 1; Marcb Break, Marcb 14 to 18; Good Friday, Marcb 25; Easter Monday, Marcb 28; Victoria Day, May 23. Professional activity days bave been scbedulcd October 8 and December 3, 2004 as well as Fcbruary 4, April 22 and Jonc 30 (secondary panel only). iP~."..M I