West Nile-Infected Bird Found In Riverside County

A dead crow found earlier this week along Baxter Road in Wildomar was infected with the West Nile virus — the first case of the disease to surface in southwest Riverside County this year, officials said today.

“All it takes is a mosquito feeding on an infected bird, and there’s the potential to transmit the virus to humans,” said Keith Jones, deputy director of the county’s Department of Environmental Health. “Though we haven’t seen anything sensational lately, this bird find is a reminder that the potential is still here.”

Testing on the crow by a California Department of Public Health laboratory confirmed that it had been infected, according to county officials.

How long the bird had been in the area and where it originated from were unknown.

The crow is the third West Nile-infected bird reported in Riverside County this year. The other two were found in vector control districts in the county’s northwest corner and the Coachella Valley, according to Jones.

Mosquito samples have also revealed the presence of West Nile in the eastern half of the county.

Mosquitoes typically become carriers of the virus after feeding on an infected bird and can then spread the potentially lethal strain to animals and humans, health officials said.

Symptoms may never materialize, but can include fever, headache, nausea, body aches, skin rashes and swollen lymph nodes.

According to state health officials, 10 human cases of West Nile have been reported this year, none of them in the Inland Empire.

Mosquito season in Southern California generally spans the months of May through October.

To reduce exposure to West Nile virus during this period, residents were urged to take the following steps:

— spend as little time as possible outdoors at dawn or dusk, when mosquitoes are most active;

— wear pants and long-sleeved shirts during outdoor activity;

— use insect repellent;

— ensure door and window screens are fitted properly to keep bugs out; and

— get rid of standing water.

The California Department of Public Health asks anyone who finds a dead crow, raven, magpie or jaybird to call the West Nile hotline: (877) 968-2473.