Can a person contract West Nile disease by eating infected game birds?

Proper cooking kills the West Nile virus. Consequently, there is no danger associated with eating wild game that might be infected. Can West Nile disease be prevented? The best way to prevent West Nile disease or any other mosquito-borne illness is to reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home and neighborhood and to take personal precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Here are some suggestions: • Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn. • When outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and apply insect repellent that includes DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants. • Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings. Try to keep doors and windows shut, especially at night. • Eliminate all sources of standing water that can support mosquito breeding, ...  more