Dead bird reporting for West Nile - Everything you need to know

The public can begin reporting dead birds to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit as surveillance for the West Nile virus (WNv).

"Dead birds are a key part of our WNv surveillance program because they can be an early indicator that the virus is active in our area," said Brenda Armstrong, supervisor of the health unit's WNv program. "We know that WNv is now an established virus across the province, but it's our annual surveillance that gives us some local measure of the risk the virus poses to our health each year."

WNv is spread to humans by mosquitoes that have become infected by biting birds that have the virus. Although most people will not become sick if bitten by an infected mosquito, WNv can cause severe illness in some people. Last year a resident of Adjala Tosorontio became the second resident of Simcoe Muskoka to test positive for the virus since the health unit began monitoring WNv.

The health unit's WNv plan for 2007 includes dead bird surveillance, testing of crows, blue jays and ravens, mosquito surveillance and human surveillance. Larval dipping and adult trapping help to determine the abundance of the type of mosquitoes that spread the virus.

In 2006 the health unit received almost 1300 reports of dead birds. It submitted 55 dead birds for WNv testing and 11 confirmed positive for the virus. One mosquito pool out of the 643 pools submitted for WNv testing confirmed positive in Simcoe Muskoka.

People can protect themselves from mosquitoes that may be carrying WNv by wearing insect repellent, covering up with long sleeves and pants and by avoiding areas where mosquitoes are active.

Because mosquitoes like to breed in stagnant water, homeowners should drain water regularly from old tires, plastic containers, wading pools, wheelbarrows and clogged rain gutters. Homeowners can also reduce mosquitoes in their backyards by changing the water in bird baths weekly and by putting screens on rain barrels to keep mosquitoes out.

You can report dead birds by calling Your Health Connection, at 721-7520 or 1-877-721-7250, or by using the online reporting form on the health unit's website at www.simcoemuskokahealth. org.