West Nile virus is circulating in Mobile County. A sentinel chicken monitored by the Mobile County Health Department’s Vector Services program has tested positive for the virus — the county’s first positive sentinel chicken case this year — in the 36613 ZIP code area, which includes Chickasabogue Park.
“West Nile virus is present in our county, and this detection is an important reminder for residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites,” said Dr. Kevin Michaels, Health Officer for Mobile County. “Vector Services will increase mosquito-control activity in and around the 36613 area, continue monitoring our sentinel chicken flocks, and work to identify mosquito populations that may be carrying the virus.”
What Happens Now
The 36613 area falls within three mosquito-spraying routes and has already been treated 19 times this season. Vector Services will conduct additional spraying, door-to-door surveys in nearby neighborhoods, and adult mosquito trapping and testing to track the virus’s spread.
Sentinel chickens serve as an early-warning system: because the virus cycles between birds and mosquitoes, the flocks act as living detectors that confirm where infected mosquitoes are active before human cases appear. Mosquitoes become infected by feeding on infected birds and can then transmit the virus to people, horses and other animals through later bites.
Protect Yourself
Residents — especially anyone spending time outdoors — are encouraged to take simple precautions:
- Use EPA-registered insect repellent when outside, particularly at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
- Empty standing water from buckets, flowerpots, tires, birdbaths, pet bowls, gutters, tarps and outdoor containers — mosquitoes can breed in very small amounts of water.
- Keep screens on windows and doors in good repair.
- Wear long sleeves and pants during peak mosquito hours.
Symptoms to Watch
Most people infected with West Nile virus never develop symptoms. Some experience fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting or rash. In rare cases the virus causes serious neurologic illness — high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, confusion, muscle weakness, tremors, paralysis or seizures — and anyone with severe symptoms should seek medical care promptly. The virus does not spread person-to-person or from horses to people; horses can be vaccinated, but no human vaccine exists.
The risk from mosquito-borne encephalitis viruses is generally greatest from August until the first fall freeze, making late summer the most important stretch for personal protection across coastal Alabama.