The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
A dead raven found in a Main Street back alley last month has tested negative for West Nile Virus. Manitoba Conservation sent the bird to Winnipeg for testing after a City of Flin Flon employee turned it in on June 18. Natural Resource Officer Brian Wotton said he had no reason to believe the raven would test positive. The raven is one of two birds tested this year from the NOR-MAN Regional Health Authority catchment area, which includes Flin Flon, The Pas, and Snow Lake. The other bird also tested negative. A number of birds from the Flin Flon area have been tested in previous years, with all results coming back negative. Birds from the crow family (corvids) are very susceptible to West Nile Virus. Many die soon after becoming infected. Testing these birds provides an early indication of the presence of infected mosquitoes in an area. The province asks Manitobans to report dead crows, blue jays, magpies, and ravens to Health Links by phoning 1-888-315-9257.
