Finding a bird positive for West Nile virus (WNV) again this mosquito season confirms what health officials had predicted - that the virus would survive the winter and reappear with warmer weather.

A crow with WNV was recently found in DeKalb County. The bird was picked up by the DeKalb County Police Department, Animal Control Division, southeast of the intersection of Memorial Drive and Rockbridge Road in central DeKalb County on May 15. It was sent to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in Athens, where it tested positive for WNV.

"We expected this," said Paul J Wiesner, M.D., director of the DeKalb County Board of Health. "We have been collecting dead birds throughout the winter, and, just like what happened in other states, West Nile returned with the warmer weather."

No WNV infections have been found in humans in any county in Georgia this year, and so far, no other counties have reported WNV activity, although activity in other Georgia counties would be no surprise to state officials.

"This incident provides a wake-up call for all Georgians to step up the prevention measures we can take at home to reduce the risk of WNV and other mosquito-carried diseases to ourselves and to our families", says Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Public Health. Toomey advises Georgia residents to take the following prevention measures:

• Throw away or bring indoors anything that can collect water, such as old tires, cans, buckets, uncovered jars, and toys. Drill drainage holes in tires used as swings.
• Drain and scrub birdbaths, pet dishes, and kiddy pools at least once a week. Refill them with clean water.
• Empty water from saucers under potted plants, and from trash baskets. Turn over wheelbarrows.
• Clean gutters, flat roofs, and air conditioner drains frequently.
• When watering lawns or gardens, avoid leaving puddles behind. Drain or fill stagnant water pools, puddles, and drainage ditches around the home.
• Eliminate water-holding tree stumps, and fill holes in trees.
• Keep fish, such as goldfish, in ponds and water gardens. They will eat mosquito larvae.
• Keep window and door screens tight-fitting and in good repair.
• Store boats so they will not collect water.
• Maintain pools and hot tubs with proper chemicals and filtration. If you use covers over a pool, hot tub or boat, remove any water trapped on the covers after each rain.
• Repair leaky pipes and outside faucets so water does not collect.
• Keep grass and weeds mowed, especially on banks next to water, to reduce resting-places for adult mosquitoes.
• If you must be outdoors, wear long-sleeve shirts and pants, and apply insect repellant containing DEET. While DEET should never be used on infants, it is safe and effective for adults and children if used according to package instructions.

Since March of this year, the DeKalb County Board of Health and other counties throughout Georgia have prepared for the mosquito season through public education, mosquito collection and identification, and distribution of products that kill immature mosquitoes. Since those most at risk of infection are over age 50, public health officials have focused on senior centers and the areas surrounding them.

To report a dead bird, please contact your county health department. In DeKalb County, visit www.dekalbhealth.net or call (404) 508-7871. For more information about the WNV and how to reduce your risk, please visit the DHR Division of Public Health Web site at http://www.health.state.ga.us, and click on vector-borne diseases.

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