West Nile virus surveillance to begin in La Salle County

Can you spot a blue jay or a robin? The La Salle County Health Department wants your help for a special kind of bird watching. Starting Thursday they’ll be taking dead birds for West Nile virus surveillance.

It’s become an annual program. West Nile virus is spread by mosquitoes and can sicken people, birds, horses and other animals.

The health department will take dead robins, sparrows, crows, wrens and other area birds that have no obvious cause of death.