Officials Warn of West Nile Virus Return
Two dead birds recently tested positive for the virus
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A mosquito sits on a stick April 9, 2009 in Martinez, California. Unseasonably warm weather for Northern California.
West Nile virus is back in Southern California following the discovery of two dead birds which tested positive for the virus.
The birds were found in Stevenson Ranch in the Santa Clarita Valley and in Silver Lake, according the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District.
"These two West Nile virus positive dead birds are evidence that West Nile virus continues to persist in Los Angeles," Susanne Kluh of the Vector Control District, which tracks the movements of pests.
Experts say the wet winter has created a good breeding environment for mosquitoes, which transmit the virus.
The virus has no cure but usually does not cause serious illness. Officials say the best way to avoid it is to avoid mosquito bites and to get rid of standing water where the pests breed.
Only about 20 percent of people infected exhibit symptoms, and one in 150 require hospitalization. Serious symptoms include high fever, neck stiffness, paralysis and, in rare cases, death, experts said.
