A Manitoba man is reminding people to be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of West Nile Virus, after a blood donation clinic flagged the mosquito-borne virus. Todd Holmes visited a donation clinic in Selkirk last Tuesday. Though he was feeling fine prior to donating blood, Holmes said he started to feel a bit odd on his way home. His symptoms just kept getting worse — chills, headaches, and pain in his joints. “I was very tired, but it was a different type of tired,” he said. “It was like I wanted to sleep, but I couldn’t sleep. I was just exhausted.” On Friday, he got a call from Canadian Blood Services, telling him he had tested positive for West Nile Virus. “I went, ‘Okay, this would make sense why I’ve been feeling the way I have,’” he said. The Canadian Blood Services told CTV News all blood is tested for several infectious diseases. It tests for the West Nile Virus during at-risk periods of the year, and for at-risk travellers during the winter. It contacts donors and public health authorities when a test comes back positive. “If a person’s blood donation tests positive for West Nile Virus, they must wait at least 56 days (8 weeks) before they can donate again,” a Canadian Blood Services spokesperson said in an email to CTV News. Earlier this month, the province ordered mandatory targeted mosquito fogging in the City of Winnipeg and several rural communities, noting the risk of human exposure to the virus is higher this year. As of Wednesday, the province has not confirmed any human cases of the virus. A provincial spokesperson told CTV News initial reports of possible human cases of West Nile Virus are considered preliminary. They said the reports need to be verified by public health before being published in the weekly West Nile Virus surveillance data posted on the government’s website. “I felt it was important that everyone become aware that it is out there, and that it is a serious situation,” said Holmes, who noted public health authorities contacted him Tuesday. He feels his situation could be much worse. While many people may not feel any symptoms, West Nile Virus can cause severe illness which, in some cases, can lead to long-term complications and even death. Holmes believes there may be many more people infected who just don’t realize it. “Most people dismiss it just as some headaches and some problems,” he said. Holmes said his wife is getting tested just to be safe, and he encourages others to do the same if they start feeling symptoms. “You can’t live inside all your life, but just make sure that you’re prepared for what you’re going to encounter,” he said.
