Squirrel, bird test positive for virus

Oakland Tribune, Aug 22, 2006 by Todd R. Brown, STAFF WRITER

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO -- Zzzzz ... Smack!

Those pesky mosquitoes buzzing around your backyard and swarming in standing water have claimed the lives of two animals that tested positive for the West Nile virus this month, according to the county's mosquito-abatement agency Monday.

A house sparrow found Aug. 7 in South San Francisco tested positive Aug. 14, and a fox squirrel found Aug. 1 in Burlingame tested positive the same day, according to a report by the California Department of Health Services.

"It does mean we have local transmission," said Vector Ecologist Chindi Peavey of the San Mateo County Mosquito Abatement District. "Squirrels have a little home territory that's maybe a quarter mile at the most. It was infected right there."

She said after the results were in, officials from the agency did "extensive trapping" of mosquitoes in the residential neighborhoods where the animals were found. Subsequent tests were negative, she said, adding that the number of insects found was low.

So far this year, Peavey said, the only other positive test for West Nile was a crow found in March in Moss Beach; that compares with 10 or 11 positives last year in the county. To date, she said no people have tested positive in the county.

The abatement agency has tested almost 100 groups of 50 mosquitoes this year, Peavey said, and more are in the pipeline.

"Today we put out 30 traps," she said. "We'll look at those tomorrow."

She said August and September are the peak of mosquito season, which ends in about October, when rains are due.

Until then, she said the agency will battle the bothersome bugs by spraying the county's sewer drains daily with a surface oil that suffocates them in the standing water.

Santa Clara County is the hottest spot in California right now for West Nile, with more birds felled by the disease than anywhere else, and one human case reported last week. Peavey said the San Mateo agency is keeping an eye on the southern part of its jurisdiction in case the problem spreads.

Anyone who finds a dead bird or small mammal that might be infected with West Nile can report it to the agency through its hotline, (877) WNV-BIRD, or the Burlingame office number, (650) 344- 8592.

Staff writer Todd R. Brown covers the North County. Reach him at (650) 348-4473 or tbrown@sanmateocountytimes.com.