DEAD CROW SIGN OF WEST NILE AREA BRACES FOR MOSQUITO-BORNE INFECTION.

Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - A dead crow found in Valencia has tested positive for West Nile virus, officials said Monday, making it the third confirmed infection statewide so far this year.

The Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District confirmed that the Valencia crow, picked up on Thursday by the county Department of Animal Care and Control, tested positive for the virus on Friday.

It was the first infected bird found in Los Angeles County so far this year. Elsewhere in the state, one infected crow was picked up from Santa Clara County, while another was found in Sonoma County.

Vector control and health experts said it was too early to tell if the discoveries mean the rate of infection in Southern California will be the same this year as last year. Infected dead crows are often the first sign that West Nile virus is in the area.

``It's hard to say why this bird was infected at this time,'' said Vector Control spokeswoman Stephanie Miladin. ``Last year, we started seeing them in early March.''

State health officials said the early discoveries come as no surprise. California is one of few states that conducts year-round mosquito surveillance.

``What we experienced in 2004 was that basically we had transmissions every month starting in February,'' said Stan Husted, supervising public health biologist for the state's Department of Health Services.

``We know that we've got West Nile transmission year-round. Typically, it's really hard to make any predictions, but we know we're going to have West Nile activity. We know that the second year in an area is worse than the first year. For those areas that have West Nile for the first time, we expect there's going to be more activity.''

The virus first appeared in New York in 1999, and it has since moved westward, blanketing the nation.

According to health experts, West Nile virus is spread to humans from the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes are infected by biting a bird that carries the virus. Most mosquitoes do not carry the virus, and most people bitten by a mosquito do not become infected with West Nile. The virus is not contagious among humans, health officials have emphasized.

Those who are infected do not become sick in most cases. But if they do, symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, body aches and mild skin rashes, health officials said.

California saw its first West Nile virus human fatality in 2003.

Last year, there were a total of 828 people infected with the West Nile virus from 23 counties statewide. There have been 27 deaths to date in California from Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Tehama counties.

``It will be awhile, maybe several years, before West Nile virus dies down to low levels,'' Husted said, adding that the state vector control agencies have worked to keep mosquito populations down, which may help in the summer months.

This year, state health officials will collect fewer crows, but will ask the public's help in reporting dead birds by posting sightings on www.westnile.ca.gov. ``That's what's going to give us a lot of information,'' Husted said.

In the meantime, health officials are encouraging residents to continue taking the same precautions as in the summer months, such as eliminating sources of standing water where mosquitoes are likely to lay eggs; using insect repellent containing DEET; avoiding areas with mosquitoes, especially around dusk and dawn; and securing window screens that may have holes.

Susan Abram, [phone]

susan.abram(at)dailynews.com