West Nile virus found near the Sacramento Zoo in Land Park. What are we doing to stop the spread?

A dead bird tested positive for West Nile virus last week, the first in Sacramento County this year, authorities said Wednesday.

The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District reported Wednesday that an American crow was found to have the virus on May 31. The bird was found near Riverside Boulevard and Sutterville Road in the Land Park neighborhood, just west of the Sacramento Zoo, according to the neighborhood.

Gary Goodman, the agency's district director, said in a statement that finding the first case each season is critical to locating and eliminating West Nile-positive mosquitoes. The finding also gives officials a good idea “where human cases might develop later in the season,” he said.

“Late spring rains and extremely warm temperatures for this time of year could indicate a busy mosquito and West Nile virus season ahead,” Goodman said. “While this is the first evidence of the virus in the District’s service area; other counties across the state have already begun recording their activities.

As of Wednesday morning, the California Department of Public Health reported 17 additional positive cases of West Nile virus in dead birds this year – in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Diego, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. So far, this total has exceeded the number of birds found at the same time a year ago (14) and is well above the five-year average of 6.4 birds for detection. A total of 857 dead birds tested positive for the virus last year, mostly in late summer.

Symptoms of West Nile virus can include fever, nausea, headache and muscle pain, lasting from a few days to several weeks. Although most infected people have no symptoms, serious complications such as meningitis, encephalitis, paralysis, and even death can occur, especially in people over 60 years of age or whose immune systems are weakened. is weakened, according to health officials.

No human cases have been detected so far this year, CDPH officials said. Last year, more than 400 people contracted the virus through mosquito bites.

Agency officials said there is no specific treatment or vaccine for West Nile virus, so preventative measures must be taken to minimize risks:

Drain any standing water to eliminate mosquito breeding sites.

Dress in long sleeves and pants when outdoors. Dawn and dusk are the times when mosquitoes are most active.

Defend yourself against mosquitoes by using effective insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin or lemon eucalyptus oil.

Make sure door and window screens are intact to prevent mosquitoes from entering homes.

The local vector control district said it plans to increase mosquito trapping and monitoring around where the bird was found to help limit the spread of disease-carrying mosquitoes.

The California Department of Public Health encourages residents to report dead birds by calling the department's hotline at 877-968-2473 (877-WNV-BIRD).