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West Nile virus cases on the rise in Montreal
Florence Morin-Martel
Published yesterday at 11:35 a.m.
Updated yesterday at 5:44 p.m.
Cases of West Nile virus are on the rise in the city, with one death this year, Montreal's Regional Public Health Department reported Wednesday. Since the beginning of summer, 25 Montrealers have contracted the virus, including 23 in September.
This is a marked jump from the usual average for this month, which was around nine cases between 2010 and 2019. The record number remains that recorded in 2018, with 33 cases. For the whole of 2024, a total of 16 cases of West Nile virus had been recorded in the city, according to Quebec data.
Montreal Public Health says it has no details yet regarding the death this year.
The majority of infected people were exposed to the virus in the city itself, health authorities stated in a call for vigilance sent to medical personnel. "The risk appears to be present throughout the region," said Dr. Nicolas Sheppard-Jones, medical director of infectious disease emergencies at the Montreal Regional Public Health Department.
Among the 25 cases reported this year, at least 10 patients developed serious neurological complications, such as encephalitis or meningitis.
West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquito bites. Infections occur mainly between July and October, with peak activity in August and September. Most people have no symptoms, but about 20% experience fever, headache, and sometimes a rash. Less than 1% of infected people develop serious complications; these are mostly people aged 50 and older or those with chronic illnesses.
Moreover, 21 of the 25 cases recorded so far in Montreal this year affected people aged 50 and over.
Cities and climate change
With climate change, the risk of transmission to humans of mosquito-borne viruses like West Nile is increasing in Quebec, points out Miarisoa Rindra Rakotoarinia, scientific advisor at the Institut national de santé publique du Québec. "This year, in fact, we had a particularly hot summer, which was therefore very favorable to the proliferation of mosquitoes."
Montreal and Montérégie are also the places that have historically recorded the highest number of cases of this disease, points out Ms. Rakotoarinia . "The mosquito species that are capable of transmitting this virus have a preference for urban environments. These are also regions that are densely populated, so naturally, we can find more cases there than in other regions."
In the absence of a treatment or vaccine, prevention remains the best defense against West Nile virus. Dr. Sheppard -Jones recommends wearing long, light-colored clothing and using mosquito repellents containing DEET or icaridin. “You should also eliminate standing water around your home if possible. This can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes,” he adds.
In 2024, 3 of the 81 people infected in all of Quebec had succumbed to the virus.
West Nile virus cases on the rise in Montreal
Florence Morin-Martel
Published yesterday at 11:35 a.m.
Updated yesterday at 5:44 p.m.
Cases of West Nile virus are on the rise in the city, with one death this year, Montreal's Regional Public Health Department reported Wednesday. Since the beginning of summer, 25 Montrealers have contracted the virus, including 23 in September.
This is a marked jump from the usual average for this month, which was around nine cases between 2010 and 2019. The record number remains that recorded in 2018, with 33 cases. For the whole of 2024, a total of 16 cases of West Nile virus had been recorded in the city, according to Quebec data.
Montreal Public Health says it has no details yet regarding the death this year.
The majority of infected people were exposed to the virus in the city itself, health authorities stated in a call for vigilance sent to medical personnel. "The risk appears to be present throughout the region," said Dr. Nicolas Sheppard-Jones, medical director of infectious disease emergencies at the Montreal Regional Public Health Department.
Among the 25 cases reported this year, at least 10 patients developed serious neurological complications, such as encephalitis or meningitis.
West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquito bites. Infections occur mainly between July and October, with peak activity in August and September. Most people have no symptoms, but about 20% experience fever, headache, and sometimes a rash. Less than 1% of infected people develop serious complications; these are mostly people aged 50 and older or those with chronic illnesses.
Moreover, 21 of the 25 cases recorded so far in Montreal this year affected people aged 50 and over.
Cities and climate change
With climate change, the risk of transmission to humans of mosquito-borne viruses like West Nile is increasing in Quebec, points out Miarisoa Rindra Rakotoarinia, scientific advisor at the Institut national de santé publique du Québec. "This year, in fact, we had a particularly hot summer, which was therefore very favorable to the proliferation of mosquitoes."
Montreal and Montérégie are also the places that have historically recorded the highest number of cases of this disease, points out Ms. Rakotoarinia . "The mosquito species that are capable of transmitting this virus have a preference for urban environments. These are also regions that are densely populated, so naturally, we can find more cases there than in other regions."
In the absence of a treatment or vaccine, prevention remains the best defense against West Nile virus. Dr. Sheppard -Jones recommends wearing long, light-colored clothing and using mosquito repellents containing DEET or icaridin. “You should also eliminate standing water around your home if possible. This can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes,” he adds.
In 2024, 3 of the 81 people infected in all of Quebec had succumbed to the virus.
