The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday that six wild birds from around the state tested positive for West Nile virus.
Five of the birds were crows, in Bangor, Bridgton, Fryeburg, Parsonsfield and Sidney. The sixth was a hawk in Yarmouth.
Additionally, the Maine CDC is investigating one case of West Nile virus in a Waldo County resident who contracted the virus while traveling outside of Maine.
West Nile virus is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. The virus cannot spread from human to human or human to animal. Severe illness and death from the virus are rare.
Other mosquito-borne viruses that have made appearances in Maine include Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus and Jamestown Canyon virus.
The best protection, according to the CDC, is to guard against mosquito bites:
— Wear long sleeves and long pants.
— Use an EPA-approved repellent on skin and clothes. Always follow the instructions on the label.
— Take extra precautions at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
— Use screens on windows and doors.
— Drain artificial sources of standing water around the home where mosquitoes tend to lay eggs.
— Take steps to prevent mosquito bites when traveling.
Despite the avian infections, no mosquitoes in Maine have tested positive for West Nile Virus yet this year. In 2023, three animals and one mosquito pool tested positive.
Maine’s last recorded human case was in 2018, according to the CDC.
For more information, visit the Maine CDC’s frequently asked questions page.
