Manitoba public health officials are encouraging Manitobans to take advantage of spring and summer by enjoying outdoor activities, increasing physical activity and eating healthy including more local fresh foods.
However, spring and summer outdoor activities can increase the risk of exposure to some infectious diseases such as West Nile virus, Lyme disease, E. coli, rabies, hantavirus and blastomycosis.
Manitobans can take precautions to reduce these risks by:
• preparing for West Nile virus season by reducing standing water around their homes;
• avoiding contact with blacklegged (deer) ticks to reduce their risk of Lyme disease;
• taking proper food-handling precautions to reduce food-borne infections;
• testing wells regularly, particularly if the well has been affected by flooding, to reduce water-borne infections;
• vaccinating pets and avoiding handling wildlife to reduce the risk of rabies;
• avoiding exposure to mouse droppings to reduce the risk of hantavirus infections; and
• being aware of the risk for exposure to blastomycosis from fungal spores found in soil in risk areas.
More information about these health issues is available in the attached backgrounder and online at www.manitoba.ca.
