A total of 25 birds have tested positive for West Nile virus in California's Contra Costa County in San Francisco Bay Area, with ten birds found with the virus this week alone. The birds, all of them are dead, are collected from the cities of Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Concord, Lafayette, and Brentwood.
Further along south, the disease has also been detected in Los Angeles County, where two dead virus-infected birds were found in Hacienda Heights and Winnetka. Meanwhile, samples of infected mosquitoes were collected from Woodland Hills and Pico Rivera.
Detecting the location of dead birds is an important tool in finding hotspots of West Nile virus, even if the bird is not picked up and tested. This also enables government authorities to locate areas where they can concentrate their mosquito control efforts.
The West Nile virus is a potentially fatal disease transmitted through mosquito bites. It has affected several locations in United States, including California and Florida.
Californa residents are urged to report dead birds to the West Nile Virus state hotline at (877) 968-2473 or online at www.westnile.ca.gov.