By Jolene FarleyA dead crow found in Hills tested positive for the West Nile Virus, according to information from the Minnesota Department of Health.Hills resident Melvin Heckt found the bird alive and told his neighbor Wendell Erickson. The pair kept watch over the bird and after it died, reported it to Nobles/Rock Public Health. "We’d been watching this bird for two days," Erickson said. "It was very sick. We didn’t think it was going to live very long."Erickson said they tried to fence the animal in to keep it in the area. The bird escaped the makeshift corral but was so sick it didn’t make it far.The dead bird was submitted to the Department of Health. It is one of 75 West Nile-positive birds found in the state, according to Dave Neitzel, an epidemiologist with the Minnesota Department of Health."West Nile Virus is pretty wide-spread throughout the state this year," he said.West Nile Virus is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito to birds, horses and humans. The virus cannot be spread by contact with an infected person. Most of the 2003 cases are found in southern or central Minnesota. Once a county has a positive test result and the presence of the virus has been established, the Health Department usually doesn’t test more animals, according to Neitzel. In 2002, 48 human cases of West Nile virus infection were reported in Minnesota, with no deaths.The virus generally peaks in mid-to-late August and is transmitted by a type of mosquito active mainly at dusk or dawn, according to Neitzel."Right now we’re getting to the higher risk time of year," he said. After the Minnesota Department of Health officials have positive test results, they contact local public health departments and update the MDH Web site at www.health.state.mn.us to notify travelers of higher risk areas. * * * pull this section:West Nile risk is lowAlthough the threat of a person becoming ill from the West Nile Virus is low, the Minnesota Department of Health advises Minnesotans to take steps to protect themselves from mosquito bites. Most mosquitoes don’t carry the virus, so most people bit will not be exposed to the virus. Of those infected, most people have no symptoms at all or display only mild symptoms.Less than one out of 150 people infected will get severely ill. Severe cases tend to occur more frequently in the elderly.Symptoms usually show up three to 15 days after being bitten. They can include headache, high fever, muscle weakness, stiff neck, disorientation, tremors, convulsions, paralysis and coma.To reduce your risk of being bitten:oUse a good mosquito repellent while outside among mosquitoes.oWear long-sleeve shirts and long pants if you have to spend time in an area where mosquitoes are biting.oAvoid outdoor activities at dusk or dawn when mosquitoes are feeding. oEliminate possible mosquito-breeding sites on and around property – including items such as old tires, buckets, clogged rain gutters, cans and other containers and anything else that can hold a small amount of water. Change the water in birdbaths and horse troughs at least weekly.
