The Oklahoma State Department of Health and Tulsa City-County Health Department confirmed July 18 that a crow found in the Tulsa city limits has tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV). This is the first detection of the virus in Oklahoma. No equine or human cases have been reported in the state.

A finding of WNV was expected this summer since states bordering Oklahoma, including Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and Missouri, had already reported cases of the virus.

Although the crow that tested positive for West Nile virus was found in the Tulsa vicinity, health officials caution the location where the bird died does not necessarily mean the bird was infected in that same location because crows might fly several miles in a single day. In Tulsa County, residents can call a special hotline number, 918/595-4200, to report sightings of dead birds. Staff from the Tulsa City-County Health Department will pick up the bird and submit it for testing. Mosquito trapping and testing has also begun in Tulsa and other locations in the state to enhance WNV monitoring