Tracking WNV in dead birds helps show where
the virus is most active in the county. It also
helps show the start and end to the WNV season.
Where does this data come from?
Members of the public report dead birds to
various agencies in LA County and in California.
Each dead bird is tracked, even when they cannot
be tested for WNV. The Veterinary Public Health
Program graphs and maps the LA County data from
all participating agencies and shares it on this
page. The dead bird testing effort has been in
operation since 2004, the year after the virus
first appeared in LA County. It has helped
reveal shifts in the environmental epidemiology
of the virus over the years. Testing was
significantly decreased in mid-2013, and began
to increase again in 2015. A vibrant dead bird
testing program is an essential part of tracking
the virus in our environment in LA County.
Public Health has made reasonable efforts to provide accurate translation. However, no computerized translation is perfect and is not intended to replace traditional translation methods. If questions arise concerning the accuracy of the information, please refer to the English edition of the website, which is the official version.