Three sentinel chickens in Pinellas County tested positive Tuesday for West Nile virus.
The chickens are located at Clearwater Nursery, near Lake Maggiore in St. Petersburg and Walsingham Park in Seminole.
That brings the total number of sentinel chickens that have tested positive for the virus to six. The other positive tests happened last month in Tarpon Springs, St. Petersburg and Oldsmar.
Sentinel chickens are used as an early-warning detection system for some mosquito-borne diseases. They signal that mosquitoes carrying the diseases are present in an area.
West Nile virus is an illness that is transmitted by mosquitoes. Most people who contract it exhibit no symptoms, but some people will develop fevers, with other symptoms such as headaches, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or rashes.
About 1 percent of people who contract it will develop a serious neurological issue like encephalitis or meningitis. Read more about West Nile virus.
County health officials say the recent heavy rainfall has led mosquito control technicians to aggressively treat known breeding areas by ground and by air. The areas where the positive sentinel chickens were located are undergoing additional fogging and treatment efforts. Mosquito control is also responding to requests from residents.
Residents are urged to take the following steps to help prevent mosquitoes from breeding.
- Empty water from old tires, flower pots, garbage can lids, recycling containers, boat tarps and buckets
- Eliminate standing water near plumbing drains, air conditioner drips, septic tanks or rain gutters
- Flush birdbaths and wading pools weekly
- Flush bromeliads twice weekly or treat with a biological larvicide
- Change the water in outdoor pet dishes daily
- Keep pools adequately chlorinated
- Stock ornamental ponds with mosquito-eating gambusia fish
- Cover rain barrels with fine mesh screening
- Repair rips or tears in door and window screens