Five new dead birds collected in the City of Culver City have tested positive for West Nile Virus, the County West Vector and Vector-Borne Disease Control District can report.
The virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito.
Mosquitoes become infected when they first feed on birds that carry the virus, and then bite a human or an animal.
What Does It Mean?
West Nile virus is endemic in Los Angeles County and California, and nationally has been found in all 50 states since its introduction into the United States in 1999. Currently, 87 zip codes out of 361 located in the County have recorded positives for West Nile Virus.
A positive result from sentinel chicken flocks and trapped adult mosquitoes are more specific with respect to the actual site of the infection, whereas positive dead birds are less specific with respect to the actual site of the infection.
Birds routinely travel many miles from their nighttime nesting locations to feed and scavenger during the day before they return to their original location in the evening. Although positive birds collected in a specific area are significant with respect to trends on a wider basis, it does not definitively identify a specific city, zip code or location as the site where the actual mosquito bite and infection occurred because of the birds extended daily travel patterns.
A bird may travel and die as much as one to 10 miles away from the location where it was infected. A positive result from a sentinel chicken flock or trapped adult mosquitoes is more specific with respect to the location of the infection since they are site specific.
What Should a City Do?
There is no specific action that is required by the city, but the District recommends that the city make this information known to their residents through their normal communication process so people walking or sitting outside at dawn or dust will take the appropriate precautions listed below to protect themselves from being bitten by infected mosquitoes.
