TURNER – A dead crow found in Turner last month tested positive this week for the West Nile virus, according to an official from the Maine Centers for Disease Control.

While there is no reason for immediate alarm, state officials are advising Turner town leaders to prepare to monitor the situation next spring.

“We’re encouraging them to implement a mosquito surveillance system next year,” MCDC Dr. Leaf Deyrup said.

The dead crow was turned over to state officials last month. This week, testing showed that it was infected with West Nile, a disease that comes to Maine through birds which are infected through mosquitoes that bite them.

West Nile-infected birds have been found in Androscoggin County for years, Deyrup said. In 2002, two infected birds were discovered in Turner. Others have been found in Lewiston and surrounding towns.

“We’ve always suspected that it’s present in the area,” Deyrup said.

He said there is little to be done about the recent case in Turner because the West Nile season is coming to a close as cool weather moves in.

“Once it gets really cold, the mosquitoes go into hiding for the winter,” Deyrup said.

Next year, he said, Turner officials should institute a system for trapping mosquitoes and having them tested for the virus. That involves luring the insects into a trap containing dry ice and then sucking them into a bag for later testing.

In August, a dead blackbird found in Belfast tested positive for the virus. It was the first confirmed case of West Nile in the state all summer.