COUNTY RESIDENTS RANKED TOP REPORTERS OF DEAD BIRDS IN CALIFORNIA
Dead bird reports aid in West Nile virus prevention
Contra Costa County residents reported 649 dead birds to the state hotline in 2017 so far, ranking the county third among all counties in California to report dead birds.
Of those reported 43 birds were tested and 19 of them, or 44 percent, tested positive for West Nile virus.
Sacramento County and Los Angeles County ranked #1 and #2, respectively, at 901 birds reported (86 virus-positive or 24%) and 819 (93 virus-positive or 64%). For a complete list of dead bird reports made year-to-date and statewide, click here.
Not all dead birds are candidates for testing. For example, birds that died due to obvious non-illness related causes such as being mauled by an animal or hit by a car, those dead too long to be tested (often depicted by an ant invasion), or species that are less susceptible to the virus in the first place are not picked up for testing.
In any case, all reports, regardless of their candidacy for testing, offer crucial information for our mosquito surveillance and control efforts. Mosquitoes get the virus by biting infected birds and then biting people. In short, the reports help us to pinpoint hot spots of West Nile virus activity so we can control the mosquitoes responsible for disease transmission.
We are thrilled that our residents understand the seriousness of West Nile virus and that they work collaboratively with us to reduce the risk of the disease.
***THANK YOU for reporting dead birds.***
Although the Dead Bird telephone Hotline is closed for the season at this time, we encourage the public to continue to file reports online throughout the year.