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It had to happen sometime. And it has. The first West Nilepositive bird has been found in Saratoga.
A dead Cooper's hawk was found near Devon Road and Macfarlane Lane on Aug. 17 and reported to the Santa Clara County Vector Control District. The bird was found to be positive after the results came in on Sept. 1.
"This should put the residents on alert. But there have been no positive mosquito or human cases so far," said Kriss Costa, community resource specialist at the Santa Clara County Vector Control District.
Costa said that the bird might have flown in from another area and did not have to necessarily belong to Saratoga. There have been 22 cases of West Nilepositive birds in Santa Clara County this year.
"Residents should not be afraid of the birds," she said, but they still need to be careful while handling a dead bird. Gloves and plastic bags should be used to dispose of the birds if the county is unable to pick them up on time.
Costa said residents should check their backyards for any standing water. "Humans can get the virus from mosquitoes and not from birds. That is why we have to be careful about the mosquitoes," said Costa. The mosquitoes get the virus from the birds and then transmit it to the humans, horses and other animals.
Costa said that her department had more than 450 calls in recent months.
"After a point we might have manpower issues. We might decide to focus on getting rid of mosquitoes instead of testing dead birds," she said.
People with ponds or pools need to be especially careful as these are places where mosquitoes breed. The vector control district is giving out special fish that eat mosquitoes and mosquito larvae.
Fresno, Tulare and Yolo counties have all had cases of the West Nile virus. In Southern California, there have been 10 deaths related to the virus. People over 50 and those with compromised immune systems are more vulnerable to the virus.
To report a dead bird, call the California Department of Health Services at 877.968.2473 or the vector control district at 408.792.5010 before 3 p.m. on weekdays. For more information about the virus, visit www.sccvector.org.
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