Factors associated with human West Nile virus infection in Ontario: a generalized linear mixed modelling approach.

ABSTRACT:

Background

West Nile Virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne pathogen that has become established in North America. Risk for human infection varies geographically in accordance with climate and population factors. Though often asymptomatic, human WNV infection can cause febrile illness or, rarely, neurologic disease. WNV has become a public health concern in Canada since its introduction in 2001.

Methods

To identify predictors of human WNV incidence at the public health unit (PHU) level in Ontario, Canada, we combined data on environmental and population characteristics of PHUs with historical mosquito and human surveillance records from 2002 to 2013. We examined the associations between annual WNV incidence and monthly climate indices (e.g. minimum and maximum temperature, average

SUBMITTER: Mallya S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5872497 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature