West Nile virus detected in Mobile County sentinel chicken

A sentinel chicken in Mobile County, Alabama has tested positive for West Nile virus, according to the Mobile County Health Department. The bird was part of the Vector Services program's monitoring efforts in the 36613 ZIP code area.

Sentinel chickens are used by health departments across the country as an early warning system for West Nile virus activity. Because chickens develop antibodies to the virus without typically showing severe symptoms, they help officials track the presence of the disease in specific regions before human cases emerge.

While the detection was in Mobile County, residents in nearby Escambia County and throughout Northwest Florida should remain vigilant about West Nile virus prevention. Health officials recommend using insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants during peak mosquito hours (dawn and dusk), and eliminating standing water around homes where mosquitoes breed.

West Nile virus is transmitted to humans through infected mosquito bites. Symptoms can range from mild fever and body aches to severe neurological complications in rare cases. Most infected people experience no symptoms at all.