Second bird in area tests positive for West Nile
Positive mosquito pools discovered in Camden and Hunterdon counties

A dead crow has tested positive for the presence of West Nile virus. It was collected at the same residence where a dead blue jay was taken earlier this season that also tested positive for the virus, according to an Ocean County Health Department spokesman.

Edward Rumen, department public information officer, said the two birds from Jackson are the only two confirmed positive cases of West Nile virus to date within all of New Jersey.

"After the first positive confirmation, the county came out and checked the mosquito pools in the area," said Dr. Ella Boyd, public health coordinator. "The mosquitoes collected at that time in Jackson all tested negative for the virus."

"The only positive mosquito pools to date this season have been one each in Camden and Hunterdon counties," Rumen said. "Although a positive mosquito pool has not been confirmed within Ocean County this season, residents [in the area] should still take precautions when venturing outdoors, since the disease is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito."

"To date, there have been no confirmed West Nile virus cases in the state in people or horses," Boyd said. "Now that we know the disease is present once again in Ocean County, we are reminding residents to take certain actions to limit their exposure to mosquitoes and their possibility of coming into contact with the disease."

According to Ocean County Health Department epidemiologist Jennifer Sklow, most human West Nile virus infections produce no symptoms, or symptoms are mild or moderate and include fever, headache and body aches. The symptoms often are accompanied by skin rash and swollen lymph glands. But it can produce more dangerous conditions in the young or elderly and those persons with chronic diseases or compromised immune systems.

For more information on West Nile virus, visit the Ocean County Health Department Internet Web site at www.ochd.org.