AKRON, Ohio - West Nile virus likely caused thousands of birds of prey to die in Ohio and other states in July, federal wildlife officials have concluded.

But the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis., is calling its results “presumptive” because the active virus was not found in the blood of all owls and hawks tested. Tests found the active virus in both of the hawks but only two of the five great horned owls submitted by Ohio.

Reports of dead and sick birds have diminished in recent weeks, and officials believe the disease is reaching the end of its run for the year. Much of Ohio has had frosts that killed off the mosquitoes that carry the virus, said Pat Ruble of the state's Division of Wildlife.

Ohio had more dead birds of prey than any other state.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed West Nile as the cause of death in at least 176 people nationwide this year. Ohio wildlife officials say it's impossible to determine how many thousands of birds died in the state.

“Some 500 to 750 raptors actually came through rehabilitation centers,” said Mark Shieldcastle, a biologist with the Ohio wildlife division. “I think that's a small percentage of birds that actually went down.”

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