Adult mosquito trap ŠAMNH   May 18: Canadian chickens start sentinel duty Canadian health authorities, concerned that migrating birds might bring West Nile into their country this spring, are taking no chances. Federal and provincial agencies station sentinel chickens along 1,550 miles of the border with the United States, from Saskatchewan to Atlantic Canada. June 1: More mosquito traps Connecticut begins trapping mosquitoes at 73 sites in Fairfield and New Haven Counties, where WNV-infected mosquitoes and dead crows were found during 1999. In addition to WNV, the mosquitoes will be regularly tested for EEE. June 9: First birds found dead of West Nile Three crows collected outside of New York City were confirmed to have died from West Nile virus. Two of the dead birds were found in Rockland County, NY; the third was from Bergen County, NJ. June 15: A false squawk from a sentinel chicken A blood sample taken on June 8th from a sentinel chicken in Corona, Queens, tests positive for the West Nile virus. In response, officials prepare to spray an insecticide called Scourge over a broad swath of Queens. Scourge is a synthetic pesticide similar to a natural pesticide produced by chrysanthemum flowers, and is relatively nontoxic to humans, dogs, cats, and other mammals. Its active ingredient, Resmethrin, breaks down quickly when exposed to air or sunlight. However, further, more detailed testing several days later reveals that the chicken does not have WNV. The ground-spraying pesticide plans are scrapped. July 7: Dead birds found in new sites Dead crows testing positive for the West Nile virus have now been identified on Long Island (two) and in Westchester County (one). This is in addition to several more infected crows and one bluejay found over the last few weeks in Rockland and Bergen Counties. The virus has yet to be detected within the city proper, either in birds or mosquitoes. July 17: First confirmed cases of WNV-infected birds within NYC limits West Nile virus is positively identified in two dead crows collected from Staten Island earlier in July. Ground-based spraying using the synthetic pesticide Anvil is planned for a two-mile radius around where the birds were found. Like Scourge, Anvil is similar to a natural pesticide produced by chrysanthemums. Its active ingredient, Sumithrin, quickly breaks down in sunlight and water. First WNV-infected mosquitoes found Mosquitoes trapped in Albany, NY are the first of those tested in summer 2000 to indicate presence of WNV. Furthermore, in addition to the known primary carrier (Culex pipiens), the virus is isolated from the mosquito species Aedes japonicus. This mosquito is a non-native, Asian species that was probably introduced into the Northeastern USA in the past few years, in shipments of used tires. It has spread rapidly in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York since its arrival and is found in wooded areas. The importance of this species in WNV transmission is not yet known, but because it bites during the daytime as well as at night, personal protection efforts should be undertaken anytime mosquito activity is apparent. July 21: Suburban mosquitoes sound a warning Culex pipien mosquitoes in Westchester, Suffolk, and Orange Counties in New York, and in Stamford, CT, are found to be carrying the virus. Anvil spraying is expanded to northern Queens and Staten Island and begins in Rockland, Westchester and Suffolk Counties. The infected mosquitoes trapped in Stamford are the first testing positive for WNV in the state of Connecticut. Parts of Stamford, New Canaan, and Darien, CT are sprayed with Scourge. An exotic bird falls victim A cockatiel found on July 3rd in Monmouth County, NJ, has tested positive for WNV. The bird seemed to be in good condition when captured, but it became ill approximately 5 days later and died on July 16th. Found in the wild, the cockatiel was apparently abandoned by, or escaped from, its owner and existed out of doors for an unknown period of time.      3 of 6