West Nile virus – History - The first recorded outbreak in North
America happened in New York City in 1999. No one knows for sure
how the virus made its way to North America. There are many
theories, including one that suggests the virus arrived on this
continent through an infected migratory or imported bird, or
through an infected mosquito that was transported to North
America by accident. The first reports of WNV activity in Canada
came in August 2001, when the virus was found in dead birds and
mosquito pools in southern Ontario. Canada had its first
confirmed human cases in 2002, after people tested positive for
West Nile virus in parts of Quebec and Ontario. The virus was
also found in birds, horses or mosquitoes in Nova Scotia,
Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. In Alberta the first
infected bird was confirmed on July 9, 2003. The first human
case was reported on August 12, 2003. In total, 275 human cases
were reported that year. - During 2003, more than 10,000 people
in North America became il