Hospital update–week of September 9

The hospital received 99 animals last week, bringing the total to 4825 for this year.

West Nile virus (WNV) activity has increased in the last couple of weeks. If you find a dead bird or squirrel, call the Department of Public Health to report it: 1-877-968-2473 (1-877-WNV-BIRD) or report online at http://westnile.ca.gov/. WNV is spread by mosquitoes, so make sure you don’t have standing water anywhere on your property. It takes only a couple of tablespoons of water for a complete life cycle. WNV can affect most species of birds and can infect tree squirrels and other mammals, including humans.