The Scott County Health Department is seeking the public’s assistance in obtaining dead birds to submit to the Illinois Department of Public Health to test for the presence of West Nile Virus.
Please contact the Scott County Health Department in Winchester by calling 217-742-8203, extension 102 and staff will come retrieve species of perching birds (crows, blue jays, robins, cardinals, catbirds, mockingbirds). In addition to perching berds, many species of sparrows, finches, flycatchers, swallows, warblers, wrens, and small or medium size hawks or owls will be accepted for submission to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.
West Nile Virus was already reported in mosquito surveillance in Morgan County back on May 14th.
Health Department officials say the specimens should be less than 48 hours after death, died singly, not be decomposed, and have no other obvious cause of death. Dead birds that do not meet the requirements should be properly disposed of by an adult by burying or double wrapping in plastic bags and disposing properly without touching the carcass. Wash hands upon completion.