As of yesterday, three suspect bird carcases had been sent to New Hampshire's public health department to be tested for West Nile encephalitis, according to Hanover Police Chief Nick Giaccone.
"The results haven't come back yet," Giaccone told The Dartmouth, explaining that the findings will not be available for another week.
In the meantime, citizens in the area have been alerted about the potential risk of infection and have been told to take precautions and alert officials if they see dead birds.
The virus, which causes an inflammation of the brain and can be caused by viruses and bacteria, including viruses transmitted by mosquitoes, was not seen in the United States until the summer of 1999 when it descended on New York City.
Since then, the West Nile strain of encephalitis, which is usually found in South Asia, has been working its way around the East coast.
New Hampshire's preventative efforts against the sometimes-deadly virus were set off by a documented instance of West Nile Virus infection in Massachusetts. The focus is on dead birds because the chain that eventually infects humans starts with them.
Mosquitoes become infected with West Nile when they feed on infected birds. Then, following an incubation period, infected mosquitoes can transmit the virus to humans and animals while biting to take blood.
Giaccone pointed out that even though West Nile has never occurred before in New Hampshire, "an infected bird could have flown in from elsewhere."
In a BlitzMail message sent to the Dartmouth community on Monday morning, John Turco, director of Health Services at the College, warned of the virus and instructed students to take "common-sense precautions against mosquito bites."
Dartmouth employees maintaining the grounds have also been asked to contact the Hanover Police Department if they see any dead birds, especially crows or other raptors.
Bob Thebodo, who is in charge of grounds at the College, told The Dartmouth that he received notice Friday afternoon that his workers should be on alert.
"We've only found one [dead bird]" he said. "But that was sort of a decomposed blue jay, which really doesn't count."
He explained that grounds workers who are out mowing or doing other maintenance have been instructed to contact Facilities Operation and Management if they observe a dead or dying bird.
"They're supposed to contact us so we can contact the Hanover dispatch, and they go from there," he said.
Most infections are mild, according to the Center for Disease Control website recommended by Turco in his Blitz message. Symptoms typically include fever, headache, and body aches, skin rash and swollen lymph glands, sometimes -- especially in older people -- severe infection can occur.
The more severe effects of the virus are headaches, high fevers, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, paralysis and, rarely, death, according to the website.
