Originally published September 26 2005
Canadian man dies of mosquito-born West Nile virus
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A 83-year-old man in Canada recently died of West Nile virus, making him the 43rd confirmed case of West Nile this summer in Saskatchewan.
A Regina man has become the first person to die from West Nile virus in Saskatchewan this year, health officials confirmed Friday.
Relatives identified the man as 83-year-old Peter Moen, but did not want to speak publicly about his death.
The province's chief medical health officer, Dr. Ross Findlater, said Moen's age and an underlying medical condition contributed to his death.
The mosquito-borne virus is fatal in only a small portion of people who are infected.
"Certainly the people that die of West Nile virus are usually over the age of 70 and usually have underlying diseases and this person apparently had both of those factors," Findlater said.
"For that family, it's a tragedy, but it is the kind of person that we expect will have more trouble with West Nile virus."
Saskatchewan Health has recorded 43 confirmed or suspected cases of West Nile virus this summer, Findlater said.
Four, including Moen, developed the most serious and sometimes fatal neurological form of the disease.
Nationwide, reports indicate that four other people have died from the virus this year - three in the Toronto area and one in Manitoba.
Findlater pointed out that the chances of contracting West Nile virus in Saskatchewan at this point in the year are rather low.
The type of mosquito that is most likely to spread the disease has gone into a hibernation phase and cold nights have virtually eliminated its activity.
"This really is a reflection of the risk in the high-risk period in Saskatchewan, which is the end of July and the early part of August," Findlater said.
"It's not a reflection of high risk now.
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