Dead birds give you the jeepers? Ick. Me too. And what's worse is OC Vector Control just issued a press release stating that 13 bird bodies have been found between Huntington Beach and Brea infected with the West Nile Virus. That's the largest number since 2004, one year after the virus was originally detected in Orange County.
Because WNV is a potentially fatal virus spread by mosquitoes, testing the bodies of dead birds is an important way to detect its presence in our area. So, if you find a dead bird: Please don't handle the body with your bare hands. Contact your local health department for instructions on reporting and disposing of the body. Also try to eliminate any standing water you see, because that's where mosquitoes like to get it on. And nobody wants to see that.
