WEST NILE PRECAUTION STILL URGED THREAT LINGERS INTO THE FALL.

Byline: CONNIE LLANOS  Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA -- Summer has gone but the discovery of a dead bird last month in Saugus that tested positive for West Nile virus means precautions still need to be taken, a health official said Tuesday.

A custodian found the bird Sept. 7 at Santa Clarita Elementary School but no students were exposed, Saugus Union School District Superintendent Judy Fish said.

``We remind our children to absolutely not touch any animals in distress and students were not at all exposed,'' Fish said.

Although August is believed to be the peak month for the mosquito-borne illness, state officials say people should be taking precautions well into the fall.

``We have seen a trend of slight increase in West Nile viral activity toward the end of the summer, in the months of September and October,'' said Truc Dever, spokeswoman for the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District.

Dever said California's relatively warm autumn months are partially to blame for the prolonged mosquito breeding season.

In May, mosquito samples along the southern portion of the Santa Clara River tested positive for West Nile, and city officials said they believed that two birds that tested positive have been found in the Santa Clarita area.

Five people have been infected by the potentially deadly virus in the area served by the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District. Three people have died statewide this year.

At Santa Clarita Elementary, officials immediately closed off the area where the bird was found, Fish said, and the county vector control office along with city officials were notified.

``The school had issues with standing water, but all the issues have been mitigated,'' said Donna Nuzzi, emergency services supervisor for the city.

Experts advise that until the weather cools, people should continue the usual recommended precautions including using bug spray with Deet when outdoors, wearing long sleeves and pants, and avoiding going outside during dawn and dusk hours.

To keep mosquitoes from breeding, residents should maintain or empty pools and outdoor fountains, and check screens and windows, Nuzzi said. Debris should also be cleared out of rain gutters to prepare for the year's rainy season.

The elderly and the young are the most susceptible to the mosquito-borne illness, which could lead to encephalitis and meningitis.

Symptoms include fever, headache, body ache and swollen lymph nodes but 80 percent of West Nile victims show no symptoms at all.

Issues with standing water in the street can be addressed by the city's Environmental Services and to report a dead bird call 1-877-WNV-BIRD.

connie.llanos(at)dailynews.com

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