Genesee County Health Department
Better Life Through Better Health
West Nile Virus
The Genesee County Health Department has received final
West Nile virus (WNV) test results from the Michigan Department of
Community Health and the Michigan Department of Agriculture. To date, five dead birds
have been submitted from Genesee County to Michigan State
University’s Animal Health Diagnostic Lab for testing for West
Nile virus. Two of
those birds were not tested due to poor quality of the specimen
and the remaining three tested negative for the virus. Additionally, no
mosquitoes submitted to the Department of Agriculture for WNV
testing from Genesee County have tested positive for the virus.
West Nile virus has been detected in several
counties in lower Michigan. Ongoing
public health surveillance for the virus has not detected any cases of West Nile virus in humans in Michigan.
“The hard frost of the past weekend in
Genesee County most likely marks the end of this year’s mosquito
and WNV season,” according to Dr. Gary Johnson, Medical Director
of the Genesee County Health Department. “Reasonable precautions
to avoid mosquito bites should be resumed next spring and
summer.”
For
questions or additional information, contact the Genesee County
Health Department, at 257-3612.
Release Date:
For immediate release Kill Date:
Oct. 12, 2001
Contact Person:
Gary Johnson, M.D., Medical Director
Genesee County Health
Department Phone: (810) 257-3612
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