hello tweets,

here is another report on the raven found with west nile virus.

regards,

Devorah A. N. Bennu, PhD
Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Ornithology
The American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West at West 79th Street
New York, NY 10024-5192
212.313.7784 (office)
212.313.6962 or 212.313.7773 (lab)
email:nyneve at amnh.org or nyneve at u.washington.edu
http://students.washington.edu/~nyneve/


WEST NILE VIRUS, BIRD - USA (WASHINGTON)
****************************************
Date: Thu 3 Oct 2002
From: Marianne Hopp <mjhopp12 at yahoo.com>
Source: Washington State Department of Health, news release Wed 2 Sep 2002
[edited]
<http://www.doh.wa.gov/Publicat/2002_News/02-159.htm>


Washington State: raven tests West Nile virus positive
------------------------------------------------------
OLYMPIA: West Nile virus (WNV) has been detected in a dead raven collected
near Newport, Washington. Testing at the National Wildlife Health Center
Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin confirmed the virus. This is the first WNV
detection in Washington, according to the state Department of Health. There
have been no human cases of WNV acquired in the state. "West Nile virus is
moving west and has already been detected in other western states, so we
have been expecting it to arrive in Washington," said Jack Lilja, WNV
surveillance program manager. "We have a good surveillance system in place,
and it worked. "The raven was collected in Pend Oreille County and
submitted by the Northeast Tri County Health District as part of the
Washington Department of Health dead bird surveillance program.

Many local and state agencies as well as private volunteer groups are
participating in the surveillance work. "The risk of West Nile illness is
low, and taking precautions to protect against mosquito bites can help you
reduce that risk," said Lilja. Simple measures may help reduce the risk of
exposure to mosquitoes that transmit WNV. Lilja encouraged people to
continue reporting dead birds to their local health departments for
possible testing so the state health department can track the spread of WNV
in Washington.

WNV infection is primarily a bird disease, and crows are especially
susceptible. Mosquitoes become infected by feeding on an infected bird and
can pass the virus to humans, horses, or other hosts when they bite. No
human or horse cases of WNV infection have been reported in Washington.
Nationwide, 43 states have detected the virus and 2477 confirmed human
cases have been reported.

--
Marianne Hopp
<mjhopp12 at yahoo.com>

[West Nile virus has been traced in infected birds across the northern
region of the continental divide and has now appeared in the west coast
state of Washington. The earlier reported human case in California might
have been contracted from an itinerant mosquito accidentally conveyed by
air or land transportation. - Mod.CP]

......................cp/sh

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