Los Angeles health officials have warned against the appearance of the virus in the area as two dead crows were tested positive for West Nile virus, Xinhua quoted the Los Angeles Times as saying. The warning came after 13 birds tested positive for the virus earlier this week in nearby Orange County. But no human cases have been reported in both Los Angeles and Orange Counties, according to the paper. In the Los Angeles area, the first dead crow was found in Santa Clarita on April 28 and the second in Woodland Hills on Wednesday, said Truc Dever, a spokesman for the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District. "West Nile virus is endemic now to Southern California," Dever said. "All evidence points to having a busy season this year. It just means that there is activity in the area and we need to start taking precautions." Dever said abandoned pools had become breeding ground for mosquitoes after so many homes were foreclosed. He urged neighbors to keep an eye out and report it to authorities. West Nile virus is transmitted to humans and animals through bites from mosquitoes, which become infected when they feed on infected birds. Health officials recommend that residents dump, drain, or clean any stagnant pools of water, which serve as fertile breeding grounds for the insects, around their homes. The virus' most vulnerable human victims are the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. Horses and squirrels can also suffer from the infection, Dever said. According to the California Department of Public Health, there have been no human cases reported in the state this year, but 41 birds in California in nine counties have tested positive as of last week. In 2007, 380 human cases were reported. Twenty-one of those cases proved fatal. Three people died in Los Angeles County.
