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A dead crow near Nealon Park in Menlo Park tested positive for West Nile virus on June 24 , marking the first detection of the disease in San Mateo County this year.
The carcass was reported through the West Nile virus call center organized by the California Department of Public Health. Infected birds have been found in Atherton and Portola Valley in previous years.
District staff are setting additional mosquito traps in neighborhoods near where the dead bird was found, according to a press release from the San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District.
“Because birds can fly a far distance, we cannot be sure that this bird was actually infected where it was found,” said Rachel Curtis-Robles, the Vector Control District’s public health education and outreach officer. Curtis-Robles said that the traps will collect mosquitoes to be tested for the virus.
West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease, according to the CDC, and affects around 2,000 people in the U.S. each year. Most people remain asymptomatic, but those with mild illness can experience flu-like symptoms and sufferers of severe illness may require hospitalization.
The virus — which does not currently have any vaccines or medications available to prevent transmission — is most commonly spread through the bite of an infected mosquito.
The San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District encourages residents to reduce potential exposure to mosquitoes by dumping standing water where mosquitoes can breed, applying EPA-certified insect repellent with active ingredients such as DEET or picaridin and wearing long sleeves and pants in the early morning and late evening, when mosquitoes are most active.
Curtis-Robles said residents can notify the agency when they see mosquito activity.
“It’s really helpful when the public calls to report biting mosquitoes so we know where to focus our efforts,” Curtis-Robles said.
Dead birds should be reported at 1-877-WNV-BIRD (1-877-968-2473). For more information about West Nile virus or San Mateo County’s services, visit smcmvcd.org.
