What do I need to tell my local health department? Date of dead bird sighting, kind of bird(s), number of birds, where the bird(s) was seen (address, town, zip code).

How does the local health department determine which birds get tested? Early in the season, emphasis is on testing birds collected in areas where WNV was identified last season. Following that, birds collected in areas statewide where WNV has not been confirmed may be tested during the current season. Testing of adult crows is emphasized. The birds should not have obvious signs of other diseases.

What do I do with a dead bird on my property that will be collected for testing? As with the handling of any dead animal, people should not handle birds with bare hands. Using a double plastic bag over your hands, the bird can be picked up and the bag pulled over it. The bird should be refrigerated, or, if it will not be submitted within 48 hours, then it should be frozen.

How can I find out if birds in my town are positive for WNV? Initial positive test results will be reported by phone directly to the submitting health department. The results of each bird collected for testing will be posted on the DEP website by town at http://dep.state.ct.us/mosquito/bird/birdsurv.htm. For questions regarding the outcome and test results of specific birds collected, call your local health department.

How many birds will be tested per town? Initially, the state plans to test all dead adult crows in good condition. Once WNV is confirmed in an area, additional testing of birds may not be necessary. Monitoring of WNV activity in birds at this stage will be done primarily through monitoring of dead bird sighting reports.