Posted at the request of Fred Bird, Communication Services/Disaster
Preparedness Coordinator in the Snohomish County Executive Office
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Bye-bye, blackbird: Report dead birds to Snohomish Health District
Your information will track West Nile virus in Snohomish County
Birders can help track West Nile virus (WNV) activity in Snohomish County.
Snohomish Health District recently reactivated its WNV information line for
people to report the location of dead birds found in the county. Dead crows
in particular are early indicators of virus activity because this species is
most susceptible to infection. Call 425.339.5250 during business hours to
report a freshly dead bird that has no obvious trauma. After 5 p.m. or on
weekends, call 425.339.8720.

Include the bird?s condition, and the date, time, and location you found it..
Also report the level of mosquito activity you noticed in the area of the
dead bird. The Health District will document each report and use the
information for mapping. They will call you if they want the dead bird for
testing. Not all birds will be collected for testing. To dispose of an
uncollected bird, wear gloves, wrap the bird in double plastic bags, and put
it in the trash. There is no risk of WNV infection from handling dead birds..

?The overall risk to persons in Snohomish County becoming sick from West
Nile virus this summer is not predictable with any certainty,? said M. Ward
Hinds, MD, MPH, Health Officer for Snohomish County. ?However, surveillance
of dead birds will be very important to help predict and anticipate human
cases. Human cases are very unlikely before August, and it is possible there
will be no human cases in Snohomish County,? he said.

West Nile virus appeared in the eastern United States in 1999 and has been
detected in 44 states. A dead found in Snohomish County last fall was the
second bird to test positive for WNV in Washington State. Wild birds are the
primary host for WNV, which is spread by mosquitoes that feed on infected
birds and then bite other birds, animals or humans. WNV is not spread
person-to-person and most people infected experience no symptoms. Find more
information about WNV on the Snohomish Health District Web site:
www.snohd.org <http://www.snohd.org/> .

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Contact: Mike Young, EH 425.339.5250 or myoung at shd.snohomish.wa.gov
<mailto:myoung at shd.snohomish.wa.gov>