DHEC: You can help track West Nile Virus by submitting dead birds for TestingCOLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)— DHEC is asking South Carolina residents to submit certain species of dead birds for lab testing in an aim to track the West Nile virus (WNV) this spring and summer. The dead bird surveillance program helps agency officials identify where and when there is an increase in West Nile virus activity. According to officials, mosquitoes become infected with WNV when they feed on infected birds that carry the virus in their blood. To safely collect a dead bird, residents should:• Not touch a bird, dead or alive, with bare hands. Download and complete a Dead Bird Submission and Reporting Sheet for West Nile Virus and take the sheet and dead bird to a local DHEC Health or Environmental Affairs office during normal business hours (8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday).

Source: ABC News March 19, 2023 00:07 UTC