It’s been a number of years since the West Nile virus was even found in birds in Nevada County. But it’s now been detected in one dead bird. That makes a total of eight in five counties. It was 11 in four counties a year ago. Nevada County Environmental Health Director Amy Irani says human cases here have been few and far between…

click to listen to Amy Irani

Meanwhile, Irani recommends you take the usual precautions in avoiding mosquito bites. That includes using a repellent during around sunrise and sunset. Also, minimize standing water…

click to listen to Amy Irani

Irani says West Nile has been endemic since its discovery in North America in 1999. She says the county doesn’t have insecticide spraying campaigns. But she says bacteriacides are applied on a regular basis in water hot spots. The worst year for West Nile in Nevada County was in 2015, during the severe drought. That’s also when the first-ever human death was recorded.