The 1999 Introduction of the West Nile Virus to North America
West Nile has been isolated from pigeons in Egypt, turtledoves in Turkey and wild bird species in Borneo, Cyprus, and Nigeria. Crows experimentially infected with WN showed high mortality. In nature, some crows must survive infection since antibody-positive individuals are often captured. A domestic pigeon infected with WN and showing clinical signs of illness was captured in Egypt. Domestic pigeons are abundant in urban settings and may prove to be particularly important in epidemics such as that observed in NYC during the summer of 1999
County says dead pigeon had West Nile
By Times staff writer
© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 14, 2001
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Hernando County's first case of West Nile virus -- in an animal, not a human -- was confirmed Thursday by the county Health Department.
On Aug. 17, a dead rock dove (a domestic pigeon) found near Mariner and Elgin boulevards in Spring Hill was sent to the Florida Department of Health laboratory for testing, and results came back positive for the West Nile virus.