More dead birds infected with West Nile Virus in San Diego County

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Main Category: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Article Date: 24 Sep 2005 - 0:00 PDT

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93 dead birds so far have been confirmed to have the West Nile Virus, say Sand Diego County officials. Most of them are Crows and Jays. Compared to 34 last year, this is nearly three times as many.

It is hard to pint-point where most of the infection is coming from because crows and jays tend to wander a great deal, perhaps even a few miles. Infected birds have been found in all types of areas - open country, urban areas and industrial areas.

Humans are infected by the West Nile Virus when they are bitten by a mosquito that had previously bitten an infected bird.

If you remove the means by which the mosquito can reproduce - standing (stagnant) water - you greatly reduce your chances of infection. People are being asked to remove small pools and puddles of standing water, these may be in the most unlikely places, such as flower pots and tin-cans.

Applying incect repellent also helps protect humans from being bitten.

If you have a pond, San Diego County will give you mosquito fishes free of charge. These fishes gobble up the mosquito larvae.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor - Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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