News and Updates Current and Past Press Releases
The California Department of Public Health has reported eight human fatalities from West Nile Virus, three from Kern, four from Los Angeles and one from Tehama Counties.
A total of 20 chickens from 4 of our 8 sentinel chicken coops have tested positive for West Nile Virus this year. These coops are strategically placed throughout the Antelope Valley for surveillance purposes.
With cooler temperatures comes reduced mosquito activity in the area. It is nevertheless a good idea to continuously check your property for standing water and winterize your pool to diminish any possible mosquito breeding sites.
A total of 20 chickens from 4 of our 8 sentinel chicken coops have tested positive for West Nile Virus this year. These coops are strategically placed throughout the Antelope Valley for surveillance purposes.
With cooler temperatures comes reduced mosquito activity in the area. It is nevertheless a good idea to continuously check your property for standing water and winterize your pool to diminish any possible mosquito breeding sites.
4West Nile Virus Cases in California
| 2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 | |
| Human Cases (fatal) | 445 (15) |
112 (4) | 104 (2) | 154 (8) |
| Horses | 32 |
18 | 19 | 15 |
| Dead Birds (chronic*) | 2569 | 515 | 412 (182) | 684 (128) |
| Mosquito Samples | 2003 | 1063 | 1305 | 2,087 |
| Sentinel Chickens | 585 | 443 | 280 | 388 |
| Squirrels | 32 | 10 | 24 | 24 |
* Dead birds that have tested positive for WNV are now being categorized as "positive-recent" or "chronic" based on the results from reverse transcript-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing.
Positive-recent birds have high levels of virus. This means that the bird was recently infected, thus recent transmission occurred.
Positive-chronic birds have low levels of virus. This means the bird was infected in the past. Chronic birds do NOT indicate recent transmission.
For the most recent updates of West Nile Virus cases in California and other statistics check out the California Department of Public Health website at http://westnile.ca.gov.
West Nile Virus Cases in the Antelope Valley
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | |
| Human cases (fatal) | 0 (0) | 0(0) | 1 (0) | 5 (1) | 12 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Horses | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dead Birds (chronic*) | 11 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 30 | 1 (2) | 0 (2) |
| Mosquito samples | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Sentinel Chickens | 25 | 12 | 4 | 16 | 27 | 1 | 20 |
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Press Release
Read our current press release for the local community.
9/3/11 - First Two California Fatalities From West Nile Virus in 2011
9/15/11 - West Nile Virus makes a Late Season Appearance
9/1/11 - Labor Day Marks the End of Summer - Not the End of Mosquito Season
8/8/11 - LA County Public Health: First Human Cases of West Nile Virus in LA County Confirmed
7/22/11 - CDPH Reports First Human West Nile Virus Case of 2011
6/29/11 - Happy Mosquito-Free Independence Day
8/19/10 - First chicken confimed positive for West Nile Virus in Lancaster
5/28/10 - Don't invite mosquitoes to your BBQ
10/5/09 - First human West Nile Virus infection in Palmdale
10/2/09 - First West Nile Virus fatality in Los Angeles County
9/4/09 - West Nile Virus detected in east Palmdale
8/28/09 - More human cases of WNV
8/20/09 - West Nile Virus cases still on the rise
8/14/09 - A fourth AV resident is infected with West Nile Virus
7/13/09 - Birds, chickens, and mosquitoes - WNV Transmission is increasing
6/30/09 - Elevated West Nile Virus risk in Lancaster
6/18/09 - Second bird tests positive for West Nile Virus in AV
6/4/09 - About bad pools and birds
11/7/08 - West Nile Virus affecting more residents of the Antelope Valley
10/14/08 - First fatality due to West Nile Virus in the Antelope Valley
10/6/08 - Another human case of West Nile Virus in the Antelope Valley
9/19/08 - Two human cases of West Nile Virus in the Antelope Valley
9/11/08 - Mosquitoes test positive for West Nile Virus
7/10/08 - West Nile Virus reappears in the Antelope Valley
1/29/08 - New officers elected for the AVMVCD Board of Trustees
10/9/07 - First human case of West Nile Virus in the Antelope Valley - Again!
9/24/07 - More West Nile Virus found in the Antelope Valley
9/14/07 - Another bird dies of WNV in the Antelope Valley
9/6/07 - First human case of WNV in the Antelope Valley
8/27/07 - West Nile Virus returns to the Antelope Valley
3/29/07 - About repos and mosquitoes
11/21/06 - Two more birds die of West Nile Virus in the Antelope Valley
10/20/06 - New WNV cases despite cooler weather
9/12/06 - West Nile Virus still active in the Antelope Valley
8/24/06 - West Nile Virus still active in the Antelope Valley
6/20/06 - West Nile Virus found in Palmdale chickens
5/26/06 - WNV infected chicken found in the Antelope Valley
1/27/06 - Comparison shows mosquito control is working in California
9/28/05 - More WNV cases despite cooler weather
9/1/05 - WNV found in more chickens, mosquitoes, and birds
8/19/05 - More chickens infected in the Antelope Valley
6/7/05 - WNV reappears in the Antelope Valley
5/23/05 - Voters decide if they want to join the Battle of the Mosquitoes
4/14/05 - West Nile Virus in North America
3/23/05 - Second chance offered West Valley
2/28/05 - Early start for WNV surveillance
10/25/04 - First human case of WNV in the Antelope Valley
10/14/04 - AV horses show signs of WNV
9/13/04 - More evidence of WNV in the Antelope Valley
9/9/04 - WNV in West Lancaster
6/8/04 - First human case of WNV in San Bernardino County
