Vector-borne Diseases
“Vector-borne diseases” are infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria and parasites that living creatures carry and pass on to other living creatures. Disease carriers, called “vectors,” are usually mosquitoes, ticks and mammals. For example, mosquitoes carry the infectious agents that cause malaria and West Nile virus. Other vector-borne diseases include Lyme disease, Avian influenza and rabies. The Ministry of Health, Provincial Health Officer, BC Centre for Disease Control, regional health authorities and, in some cases, local governments play a role in vector control.
Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis is a fairly common infection caused by a parasite found in birds and mammals, especially cats and farm animals. People with healthy immune systems usually have no symptoms or mild flu-like symptoms (e.g., fever, sore throat, muscle aches and tiredness). However, the fetuses (unborn babies) of pregnant women can be severely affected. Anyone who is pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant should follow precautions around household cats and with handling meat.
People can catch toxoplasmosis from:
- Cleaning cat litter boxes.
- Working in gardens or playing in sandboxes that contain cat feces.
- Eating raw or undercooked meat.
- Drinking unpasteurized milk.
More information:
West Nile Virus
West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne virus. In nature it is normally passed between mosquitoes and birds. The usual way for humans to get WNV is through the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes can become carriers after biting infected birds.
For more information on West Nile Virus please see the Provincial Health Office, the BC Centre for Disease Control or the British Columbia Health Authorities websites.
Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by bites from an infected tick. In B.C., the western black-legged tick is responsible for transmitting the disease. This tick is common in many parts of B.C. – especially grassy and wooded areas, where it can attach to people or animals passing by.
Initial symptoms are a bull's-eye-shaped rash followed by flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, chills, fever, headache, and muscle and joint pain. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully, especially if treated early. If untreated, Lyme disease can result in long-lasting problems such as arthritis, nervous system disorders, seizures, headaches and extreme fatigue. Deaths from Lyme disease are rare.
More information:
Avian Influenza
Avian influenza (bird flu) is a viral infection that can affect all species of birds, including chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, pet birds and wild birds. While relatively uncommon, avian influenza viruses can cause illness in humans. Avian influenza is not the same as human influenza (the flu), which is a common disease that spreads easily among humans.
More information:
Rabies
Rabies is a viral infection transmitted to humans through close contact with the saliva of an infected animal, most often by a bite or scratch. Worldwide, bites from unvaccinated dogs cause most human cases of rabies. In B.C., only bats carry the rabies virus and other animals are rarely infected. In other parts of Canada and North America, rabies also can be carried by mammals such as raccoons, skunks, foxes and coyotes.
The rabies virus infects the brain and nervous system of mammals. Symptoms of the disease include headache, fever, increasing difficulty in swallowing, excessive drooling, muscle spasm or weakness, and strange behaviour. Rabies is usually fatal in humans if the disease is not prevented with vaccines or shots given soon after exposure. If you are bitten or scratched by an animal that may rabies or seems sick, do the following:
- Wash the wound well with soap and warm water under moderate pressure for at least five minutes and then flush thoroughly with water. This greatly reduces the chance of infection.
- Seek medical care from your doctor or local public health unit right away.
More information:
- Rabies (HealthLink BC File)
- Rabies (BC Centre for Disease Control)
- Rabies (Public Health Agency of Canada)
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