COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) – State health officials are asking for the public’s help tracking West Nile Virus by submitting dead birds for testing.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control is asking residents to submit recently deceased crows, blue jays, house finches and house sparrows that appear to not be injured and are not decayed. Officials say those species are more susceptible to the virus, making them good testing candidates.
The agency says testing the birds allows the agency to better understand where and when there is an increase in the virus. High rate of infection in the birds is then reported to local mosquito control programs that can take appropriate actions to protect the health of residents.
“The public’s involvement with dead bird surveillance helps identify West Nile virus before it shows up in people,” State Public Health Entomologist Dr. Chris Evans said. “This is a unique opportunity for the public to proactively assist their public health agency in staying ahead of a potential health risk.”
Officials say the amount of West Nile Virus activity varies from year to year with 87 birds from 18 counties testing positive in 2018 while, in 2020, only one bird tested positive for the virus.
DHEC says collected birds can be submitted to local environmental affairs offices between March 15 and Nov. 30.
They recommend the following steps to safely gather the birds:
- Don’t touch a bird, dead or alive, with bare hands. Use gloves or pick up the bird with doubled, plastic bags.
- Keep the bagged bird cool until it can be placed on ice. If the bird carcass can’t be delivered to DHEC within 36 hours of collection, place it on ice in a cooler, but do not allow water into the bags.
- Download and complete the Dead Bird Submission and Reporting Sheet for West Nile Virus and take the sheet and dead bird to a local DHEC Environmental Affairs office during normal business hours (8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday).
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