Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
WATSEKA, Ill. (AP) — Health officials in eastern Illinois have put out an unusual request for the public to help collect dead birds.
The Iroquois County Public Health Department says dead birds have been important indicators of West Nile activity since the virus arrived in Illinois in 2001.
Terry Eimen is director of environmental health for the department. He says they're looking for "perching birds" such as crows, blue jays, starlings, robins, cardinals and mockingbirds. Many species of sparrows, finches and wrens will also be accepted for testing.
The (Kankakee) Daily Journal reports (http://bit.ly/29Zd8R3 ) that the birds should be believed dead less than 24 hours and be undamaged by scavenging animals.
The dead birds should be double-bagged in plastic bags and dropped off at the department in Watseka.
___
Information from: The Daily Journal, http://www.daily-journal.com
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.