West Nile Virus Surveillance

The California Department of Health Services Division of Communicable Disease & Control is working with the Local Health Departments and Vector Control Districts throughout California to monitor for the presence of West Nile virus. The California Department of Health Services WNV website can be accessed at: http://westnile.ca.gov

Mosquito & Vector Control Districts throughout the state routinely test mosquitoes, wild birds, and sentinel chickens for the presence of encephalitis causing viruses.  In response to concerns over WNV, districts have increased their surveillance and control activities. Find your local district by calling 877-WNV-BIRD or http://mvcac.org/Download/map.pdf Currently 224 flocks of sentinel chickens are in place throughout the State of California.  The San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District currently maintains and tests 11 flocks for encephalitis every 10 days.

Adult mosquitoes are collected, identified, and sent to the State lab at University of California, Davis, arbovirus diagnostic laboratory for testing.

The dead bird surveillance program is coordinated by the California Department of Health Services (CDHS).  Dead birds can be reported by calling 877-WNV-BIRD, or accessing the State WNV website at http://westnile.ca.gov, or to the LA County Department of Health at (877) 747-2243.

Dead birds that meet testing criteria are shipped to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory for initial processing before being tested at the University of California, Davis, arbovirus diagnostic laboratory. Not all birds reported from the San Gabriel Valley will picked up for testing, but we urge residents to call us or use the website to report dead birds.  The information is still important!

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1145 N. Azusa Canyon Road - West Covina, CA 91790 - 626.814.9466
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