West Nile Virus: Reporting dead bird (corvid) sightings

Northern Health's 2008 West Nile virus program will put an increasing focus on public education about ways to best deal with mosquito habitat, and the best methods of personal protection from WNv when traveling. 

Northern Health will not trap mosquitoes or collect dead corvids for testing in 2008. The desicion is based on surveillance data from the last four years that points to an extremely low possibility that WNv will arrive in the north before it appears other regions of B.C. Northern Health will reevaluate the program if or when the virus arrives elsewhere in the province. If there is any indication that the risk has increased, NH will reintroduce surveillance activities.

Large numbers of deceased corvids (ravens, crows, magpies, and jays) can be an indicator of West Nile virus. The public can still report sightings of dead corvids on line at the BC Centre for Disease Control website at http://westnile.bccdc.org/

Dead birds, like other animal remains, shouldn't be left to rot on the ground or handled with bare hands. If you need to handle a bird carcass, please take the following precautions:

Disposing of a bird carcass:
1. Make sure your hands and clothing do not touch the bird or its blood, secretions, or droppings
2. Use heavy-duty, leak-proof rubber gloves like those used in house-cleaning
3. If you don't have rubber gloves, use leak-proof plastic bags as a glove
4. Carefully pick up the bird with your hand protected by at least two layers of leak-proof plastic bags. Then turn the bags inside-out over the bird so it ends up inside the bags, with your hand on the outside
5. Handle the bird so that the beak or claws do not puncture the bag or gloves
6. Tightly close the plastic bag containing the bird, place it in another clean plastic bag, and tightly close that one too
7. Wash your gloved hands, and then wash your bare hands after handling any dead animal
8. Dispose of the bird according to local bylaws.