Does the Mason County Health Department collect dead birds for West Nile Virus testing?

Yes, the MCHD collects dead birds to test for West Nile Virus during the summer months through October. If you find a dead bird, please contact the MCHD and we will come pick it up. Our website has a list of requirements that a dead bird has to meet in order to be eligible for collection. The two major requirements are that it appears to have died from natural causes (not killed by a cat) and is not in advanced stages of decomposition. If you submit a dead bird for testing, you will be notified if it is positive or negative for WNV when we received results.