Wednesday, July 25, 2001

West Nile virus found in south Georgia bird

A crow infected with West Nile virus was found in Lowndes County, Georgia. The bird was found by a citizen July 6 and died July 7.

The infection was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laboratory. The discovery was not unexpected, since Lowndes County is near Jefferson County, Florida, where another infected crow was discovered in June.

No West Nile virus infections in humans have been identified in Georgia.

West Nile virus is a close relative of other types of mosquito-borne viruses that circulate in Georgia every year, such as St. Louis encephalitis and eastern equine encephalitis viruses. Prior to August of 1999, West Nile virus has never been reported in the Western Hemisphere.

Most people who are infected with West Nile virus do not even get sick. However, a small proportion of infected people mostly people over age 50 may become ill with symptoms of encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and require hospitalization. Mosquitoes spread the virus by feeding on the blood of infected birds. The disease cannot be spread from person to person.