According to:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/wncount.htm

1852 reported cases so far this year and 89 deaths (4.8%)

Compared to the flu which peaked with 1750 case IN JUST ONE WEEK last
February:

"Pneumonia and Influenza (P&I) Mortality: During week 20, the percentage
of all deaths due to pneumonia and influenza as reported by the vital
statistics offices of 122 U.S. cities was 6.5%. This percentage is below
the epidemic threshold of 7.5% for week 20."

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/flu/weeklyarchives/weekly20.htm

One wonders, since only dead birds are being tested, how many birds
get West Nile, suffer mild flu -like symptoms and recover...

> mapste wrote:
>
> I would guess all of us cringe at the thought of any birds (well maybe
> not Starlings!) stricken down by WNV, and by "Silent Spring" scenarios
> from mosquito spraying. It doesn't seem like there is much we can
> do about our bird populations, as they could be decimated by either
> the disease or the spraying or both. This is a very sad, helpless
> feeling when you are a person who doesn't just see birds as "indicator
> species" of WNV for human concerns.
>
> One of the responses I got from Fish & Wildlife said that we have to
> control the panic over this disease, which the media is making very
> difficult as they announce every human contagion or death, keeping it
> in the news all the time. I noted some statistics from the
> websites I've been reading and it seems the likelihood of a person
> dying from a mosquito bite is extremely small. (Don't quote me, I may
> not remember every number, see www.cdc.gov if interested.) Only
> a small number of people are likely to be bitten by an infected
> mosquito. Only 20% of those bitten will have ANY sign of illness.
> Less than 1% of those who get ill will get the severe form of the
> virus and be hospitalized; the rest will suffer short-term flu-like
> symptoms. Less than 25% of those hospitalized will die from it.
> Although every death is a tragedy to someone, these numbers are
> sounding pretty small to me, not a national epidemic to panic over.
> But then I have been accused of being cold and scientific sometimes!
>
> So mainly, I'm worried about the birds and what we can do for them.
> Am I right, is the answer "Nothing"?
>
>

--
Mike Patterson
Astoria, OR
celata at pacifier.com

A child who becomes acquainted with the birds about him
hears every sound and puzzles out its meaning with a cleverness
that amazes those with ears who hear not.

-Neltje Blanchan

http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters/bird/bird.html