A horse in Tracy and two dead birds in Alamo and Danville have tested positive for West Nile virus this week, bolstering experts’ prediction of Northern California being the epicenter for the virus this year.
Mosquito and vector control districts are doing what they can to inform the public on preventive measures for not only themselves, but also their animals.
In California, 48 horses have tested positive for the virus this year. Of those, half have died or been euthanized.
The horse that tested positive was the first in San Joaquin County this year; it began showing effects of illness last Saturday and was euthanized two days later. It had not received vaccination for the virus.
“In this case it’s really sad. It is the owner’s responsibility to get the horse vaccinated,” said Aaron Devencenzi, information officer for San Joaquin County Mosquito & Vector Control District.
Depending on the vaccine, clinical studies have shown them to be 88 percent to 95 percent effective against the disease. “The vaccines has proven to be very effective. I have seen horses that have received the vaccine recover quicker than horses who haven’t received anything,” said Alan Goldhahn, doctor of veterinary medicine in San Joaquin County.
A horse affected by the virus will show signs of stumbling, staggering, wobbling, weakness, muscle-twitching or the inability to stand.
Horse owners are asked to contact a veterinarian as soon as their horse shows any of these symptoms.
The birds that tested positive were reported Thursday.
The first bird, a sparrow, was found in Alamo near Stone Valley and Round Hill roads. The other bird, a robin, was found near Stone Valley and Green Valley roads in Danville.
According to the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District, eight birds have tested positive for the virus this year in Contra Costa County.
West Nile virus is a disease-causing virus transmitted to birds, horses and humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.
Humans infected with the virus will get West Nile fever, which includes flu-like symptoms. Although very rare, the virus can also cause deaths.
This year West Nile virus has caused two deaths in California.
On Friday, Solano County health officials reported that a woman living in northeast area of the county is the first person in the Bay Area this year to be confirmed as having the virus.
It’s unclear where she contracted the virus, but there’s no evidence thatshe traveled outside the area before being diagnosed, county health officials said. The womans diagnosis comes about a year after the first bird was confirmed to have died from the West Nile virus in Dixon, said Denise Unger, a county public health specialist.
Residents are encouraged to remove standing water to keep disease- carrying mosquitoes from breeding. Using mosquito repellents, wearing long-sleeves and pants when outdoors are also preventive measures people can take to help reduce the chance of being infected by the virus.
A free West Nile virus informational DVD to horse owners in the San Joaquin County is being offered by the countys Public Health Services. To request a copy, call (209) 468-3411.
To report a dead bird contact California West Nile Virus at 1- 877-968-2473 or visit http://www.westnile.ca.gov.
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