Test Results as of 8/7/00
- To date, 450 crows have been accepted for testing by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services' Public Health and Environmental Laboratory. A total of 53 crows -- 29 found in Bergen, 12 in Middlesex, 2 in Union, 2 in Hudson, 5 in Passaic, 2 in Monmouth and 1 in Essex Counties -- have tested positive for the presence of the WNV. At least one crow sample has been submitted from all 21 New Jersey counties.
- A cockatiel, found in Monmouth County on July 3 and taken to a veterinary hospital on Staten Island July 5, has tested positive for the presence of the WNV. It is important to note that the cockatiel was found in the wild, apparently abandoned by, or escaped from its owner and existed out of doors for an undetermined period of time. When found, the bird seemed to be in good condition, but became ill approximately 5 days later and died on July 16. Given the limited information available, it is not possible to determine where or when it became infected with WNV.
- 543 blood samples taken from sentinel chicken flocks placed in all 21 counties and 465 mosquito pools collected in every county, have all tested negative for WNV.
- Blood and/or spinal fluid samples from more than 30 residents have been or are in the process of being examined using either the St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE) screening test or a test for WNV itself. The SLE test can be conducted by private laboratories for residents with conditions that do not fully meet established WNV testing criteria. Since SLE and WNV are closely related viruses, a WNV case will most likely react to a SLE test. All results reported to date have been negative.
