OTTAWA – The LaSalle County Health Department confirmed that another crow from LaSalle County tested positive for West Nile virus. The bird was collected and tested on September 9th in Streator. Mosquitoes in Ottawa tested positive last month, and a crow from Streator and one from Utica also tested positive in August. West Nile Virus is transmitted through the bite of a common house mosquito, which has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. Common symptoms include fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches. People who observe a sick or dying bird should contact the health department which will determine if the bird will be picked up for testing.
