West Nile Virus Risk in Birds and Humans in Southern Ontario
Author Information
Author(s): Beroll Heidi, Berke Olaf, Wilson Jeffrey, Barker Ian K
Primary Institution: University of Guelph
Hypothesis
What is the spatial risk distribution of West Nile virus disease in birds and humans in southern Ontario from 2002 to 2005?
Conclusion
The study indicates a significant relationship between the spatial pattern of West Nile virus risk in humans and birds.
Supporting Evidence
- The annual WNv cause-specific mortality fractions in birds for 2002 to 2005 were 31.9, 22.0, 19.2 and 25.2 positive birds per 100 birds tested.
- The annual human WNv incidence rates for 2002 to 2005 were 2.21, 0.76, 0.13 and 2.10 human cases per 100,000 population.
- The relative risk of human WNv disease increased by the factor 1.44 with every 10 positive birds per 100 tested.
Takeaway
This study looked at how the West Nile virus affected birds and humans in southern Ontario over a few years, showing that areas with more sick birds also had more sick people.
Methodology
Choropleth maps and Poisson regression analysis were used to model the spatial risk distribution and identify disease clusters.
Potential Biases
Potential biases include public awareness affecting reporting rates and variations in testing practices among public health units.
Limitations
The study relied on voluntary reporting of dead birds, which may have led to inconsistent data collection across public health units.
Participant Demographics
The study focused on public health units in southern Ontario, Canada.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.057
Confidence Interval
95% CI = 0.22–0.96
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website