Why did the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) test dead birds?
Very early in the course of this national epidemic, it was recognized that dead bird sightings, especially of dead crows, blue jays, or birds of prey provided an early warning signal that West Nile virus was spreading bird-to-mosquito in a geographic area. As a part of Oklahoma’s comprehensive West Nile virus monitoring program, the Oklahoma State Department of Health set up a hotline for persons to report dead birds and provided free West Nile virus testing of some of these birds. Because West Nile virus tends to cause noticeable mortality in wild birds before human cases of disease begin to occur, the testing of dead birds has helped define the period of public health risk and guide mosquito control activities in some communities.
Related Questions
- My local health department collects dead birds to test for WestNile virus (WNV). Why can???t they test the dead bird I found in my yard forthe HPAI H5N1 virus?
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- Why did the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) test dead birds?
