Nebraska health officials are once again looking for the telltale signs of West Nile virus.

Officials will begin the formal surveillance program for West Nile on May 31 by accepting dead birds for testing.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided Nebraska with a $500,000 grant to fund the program. Local health departments have received funding for the pick-up and transport of specimens. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory will perform the testing.

"Finding the virus in birds gives public health officials an indication of the level of the virus in the area and the risk to human beings of contracting the disease," said Annette Bredthauer, State Public Health Veterinarian with the Nebraska Health and Human Services System.

Mosquito trapping for additional surveillance will begin in June.

The types of birds most likely to die from West Nile virus are blue jays and crows. People who find these birds or raptors such as hawks and owls should immediately contact their local health department. Click here for a list of local health departments.

More than 695 birds in the state were tested in 2005 and 149 were found to be positive for the virus. Of the 4,191 mosquito pools collected, 395 were positive.

There were 188 human cases of the disease reported in 2005. This compares to 57 in 2004, 2,366 in 2003 and 174 in 2002. There were no cases prior to 2002, the year the disease found its way to Nebraska from the east coast.

West Nile is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. In turn, the mosquito can pass the virus to humans.

West Nile fever includes flu-like symptoms such as fever and muscle weakness. Symptoms of West Nile encephalitis include inflammation of the brain, disorientation, convulsions and paralysis. People over 50 and those with weak immune systems are especially vulnerable to the disease.

Insect repellents can save lives, according to the state's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Joann Schaefer. "Play it safe - fight the bite," is the message the health official wants Nebraskans to hear to combat West Nile virus and other insect-borne diseases.

People can "fight the bite" to reduce their risk by: