Arkansas News Bureau

LITTLE ROCK — A near record amount of rain could push cases of the West Nile Virus higher than normal in Arkansas this year, the state Health Department said Tuesday.

The department announced the start of the annual statewide surveillance for mosquito-borne virus in wild birds.

Kim Sutphin, senior epidemiologist with the department, said nine cases were reported in the state last year, with no deaths, but “numbers of cases could rise depending on rainfall amounts and the breeding of the mosquito population.”

The surveillance program includes the testing of crows, bluejays, robins, hawks and owls since these birds have been determined to be major carriers of the virus, department spokesman Ed Barham said in a news release.

Arkansans are encouraged to bring dead crows, bluejays, robins, hawks and owls to their local health unit for laboratory testing.

In 2007, there were 20 confirmed cases of the  in humans and one death. In 2006, there were 29 cases in humans and four deaths. The state recorded four West Nile deaths in 2005, along with 28 cases in humans.

Nationally, there were 1,356 reported cases in humans and 44 deaths from last year from West Nile Virus.

The virus can cause flu-like symptoms and sometimes swelling of the brain, although most people bitten by an infected insect never get sick, health officials say. The virus is most dangerous for young children, the elderly and people with weak immune symptoms.

The Health Department recommends several things homeowners should do to reduce the risk of contracting the virus, including:

—Limiting outdoor activities between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are more prevalent.

—Using insect repellent that contains DEET and is approved by the Environmental Protection Agency.

—Eliminating stagnant water in containers, such as buckets, flower pots, old tires, wading pools and birdbaths, where mosquitoes can lay eggs.