By Ellen Rogers

ellen.rogers@gaflnews.com





THOMASVILLE –Despite the recent discovery of a dead bird infected with the West Nile virus in North Florida, there have been no confirmed cases of the virus in Georgia, David S. Bang, Southwest Georgia Public Health District 8-2 public information officer, said.

A bird-watcher found a dead fish crow in June in swampy land about 10 miles east of Monticello, Fla., in Jefferson County. On Friday, the National Centers for Disease Control confirmed that the bird was infected with the West Nile virus, a mosquito-transmitted virus that caused an outbreak of encephalitis in New York City in 1999.

“There are no known cases of the West Nile virus in Georgia, but we want the public to be aware that the virus does exist,” Bang said. “We’re encouraging people to look for any dead birds–if they see that the bird died from something unusual, something other than injuries from a power line, gunshots or car collisions, they should report it to their local health department.”