West Nile Virus and other Mosquito-Borne Diseases Surveillance in Canada: Annual edition 2020 (infographic)
Download the alternative format
(PDF format, 8.4 MB, 1 pages)
Organization: Health Canada
Published: 2023-06-02
What is the risk
- West Nile virus (WNV) is the leading cause of domestically acquired mosquito-borne diseases (MBD) in Canada
Who's at greater risk
- Advanced age and people with underlying medical conditions (e.g., diabetes, cancer, heart disease) are at increased risk of WNV neurological syndrome
How to manage
- There is no specific treatment or vaccine for WNV
- Patients are treated for their symptoms
West Nile virus reported in 2020
- 41 positive dead wild birds
- 205 positive mosquito pools
- 6 positive horses
- 163 human cases acquired within Canada
- 153 clinical cases, 7 deaths
- 56 cases with neurological syndrome
- 51 cases with non-neurological syndrome
- 46 cases not specified
- 10 asymptomatic cases
- 3 travel-related human cases acquired outside of Canada or travel location not specified
- When compared to the average of the previous 5 years, a lower number of human cases was observed in 2020
- Recurring fluctuations in the number of WNV human infections from year to year are expected
Other MBDs
- 13 human infections of California serogroup viruses: 2 reported by the National Microbiology Laboratory and 11 by Quebec
- 8 horses tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis virus
Public health recommendations
Avoid becoming infected with WNV and other mosquito-borne diseases by:
- Protecting yourself
- cover exposed skin
- use insect repellent with DEET or Icaridin
- Reducing surrounding risk
- eliminate standing water
- maintain window and door screening