By Jennifer Edwards
The Cincinnati Enquirer

FAIRFIELD - For the first time this summer, the West Nile virus has been detected in three birds in Butler County.

Two were found in Fairfield: a brown sparrow on Windage Drive Aug. 1, and a red bird, possibly a cardinal, on Gray Road July 31, said Jeff Agnew, chief of environment services at the Butler County Health Department.

A blue jay was found in West Chester Township July 29 on Oak Leaf Circle. The test results came back on Aug. 12; residents were notified Aug. 13, he said.

West Nile virus can cause a flu-like illness and, in some cases, lead to life-threatening meningitis or encephalitis.

West Nile has now been found in nine Ohio counties, including Hamilton County. Last year, Ohio had the nation's third-worst outbreak of West Nile virus, with 31 deaths and 441 probable and confirmed cases.

Agnew said the results do not come as a surprise. Last summer in Butler County, nine dead birds with the virus were found, he noted.

"In fact we are somewhat surprised it's so late in the season to find them," he said. "Last year we found them much earlier in the season."

Fairfield residents affected by June 14-15 flash floods also weren't surprised.

Members of a group called Fairfield Flood Victims 6/14 have been warning city leaders, most recently at last Monday's City Council meeting, that it was likely.

Carleta Baumer's Gray Road home flooded in June. Two weeks after her husband found the dead bird in their driveway, she said, children playing in her backyard were bitten by mosquitoes as she took the call from the health department, alerting her the bird had tested positive.

"I totally panicked and yelled for the kids to come in and dabbed (lotion) on them," Baumer, 55, said.

Fairfield is paying $173,000 for consultants to conduct flood studies and to look into improving drainage, upgrading sewer lines and possibly buying some flood-prone homes.

The Butler County Health Department no longer is accepting dead birds for testing, Agnew said.

Residents should double-bag a bird in plastic, and either throw it out or bury it.

E-mail: jedwards@enquirer.com