This table will be updated weekly. West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne infection that can cause brain inflammation. The virus was previously only found in Africa, Eastern Europe and West Asia, but was detected in Pennsylvania for the first time in the year 2000. West Nile virus infection in people occurs primarily in the late summer or early fall. People can get infected from the bite of certain kinds of mosquitoes, such as the Northern house mosquito, that are infected with the virus.
Mosquitoes get it when they bite or take a blood meal from birds infected with the West Nile virus.
Those mosquitoes then transmit the virus to people, animals, and other birds when biting to take blood. You can reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home and neighborhood by reducing the amount of standing water available for mosquito breeding. How You Can Help with Dead or Ill Bird Reporting. The West Nile virus infects certain wild birds. The infected birds, especially crows, are known to get sick and die from the infection.