From The Science Times
May 28, 2021
Three scrub jays found dead in the Galt area tested positive for the West Nile virus, confirming the first case of a disease potentially fatal to humans in Sacramento County, health officials have reported.
The California scrub jay (Aphelocoma californica) is a species of scrub jay native to western North America whose range is from southern British Columbia to all of California then western Nevada near Reno to west of the Sierra Nevada.
Galt City (2010 population: 23,647) is part of the Sacramento County metropolitan area.
The case of the nesting scrub jays was first reported by the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District officials on May 26. They said birds like crows, magpies, and scrub jays are especially susceptible to the virus, noting that the discovery of the birds with West Nile virus is a “good reminder” for people that the virus is present in the area.