West Nile Virus

Historical: West Nile virus was first isolated from an adult woman in the West Nile District of Uganda in 1937. The ecology was characterized in Egypt in the 1950s. The virus became recognized as a cause of severe human meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the spinal cord and brain) in elderly patients during an outbreak in Israel in 1957. Equine disease was first noted in Egypt and France in the early 1960s. The first appearance of WN virus in …

…items that could collect water. Be sure to check for containers or trash in places that may be hard to see, such as under bushes or under your home. The public can play an important role in monitoring West Nile virus through reporting dead birds to state and local health departments. However, in some areas, birds are no longer being collected. In addition, state and local agencies have different policies for collecting and testing birds.