OCEANSIDE – A record number of birds and ponds tested positive for West Nile virus in San Diego County this week, with the highest concentration in Oceanside.
Mosquitoes and six dead birds tested positive for West Nile virus in Oceanside, according to a report by the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health. Hubbert Lake in northern Oceanside was the first “mosquito pool” to test positive this year.
A total of 17 infected birds found this week adds to the 61 that have tested positive in the county this year.
So far in 2008, San Diego County has reported the highest number of West Nile-infected birds in the state, according to the most recent statistics available from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Infected mosquitoes were collected from traps around Lake Hubbert, which is north of the San Luis Rey River, about two miles from the coast. The samples were sent to a University of California Davis laboratory, where they tested positive for the virus.
The most common symptoms of West Nile in humans are fever, aches, nausea and rashes, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Four out of five people infected with the virus experience no symptoms; however, the virus can cause serious illness or death.
In an effort to control the spread of the virus, the county has mailed letters warning 1,800 residents living near the Oceanside lake.
Residents are advised to stay inside at dusk and dawn, when mosquitos are most active; use repellent containing DEET; and keep screens on windows and doors. To prevent mosquito breeding, people are urged to eliminate standing water in items such as potted plants, buckets and children's toys, and use mosquito fish in ponds, unused swimming pools and fountains.
To report dead birds, green swimming pools or mosquito breeding sites, call County Vector Control at (858)-694-2888. For general information about West Nile in San Diego, call (888)-551-4636, or go to SDFightTheBite.com.
Monica Unhold is a Union-Tribune intern.
