When a bird dies, there is a short window to test for WNV. The virus immediately starts to break down after death which makes birds that are dead for more than 24 hours not good candidates for testing.

To report a dead bird, you can call the hotline – 1-877-WNV-BIRD (1-877-968-2473) or http://westnile.ca.gov/ and click Report a Dead Bird. The hotline is staffed by people who can answer questions about West Nile and about other mosquito-borne diseases.