Dead Crow Tests Positive for West Nile Virus
A dead crow found earlier this month has tested positive for West Nile virus, providing the first evidence of the disease in Orange County this year, officials said Wednesday.
The American crow, collected by the Mission Viejo Animal Shelter on Feb. 4, “indicates recent transmission since it is believed that crows usually die within a few days of being infected with the virus,” said Robert Cummings, an ecologist with the Orange County Vector Control District.
There were 928 human cases of West Nile virus in California last year, officials said, up from the 830 in 2004.
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