ODESSA, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County says West Nile virus has been detected in sentinel chickens in the county, though no human cases have been reported.
The detection comes as mosquito-borne illnesses continue to be monitored across Tampa Bay. A locally acquired case of dengue was reported Monday in Hillsborough County.
“This time of year, mosquito-borne disease virus transmission is expected,” said Adriane Rogers, executive director of the Pasco County Mosquito Control District.
Rogers said recent mosquito activity is tied in part to rain, but also to drought conditions seen earlier this year.
“Mosquitoes can lay eggs during dry periods that can lay dormant for months, even years, depending on the mosquito species,” Rogers said. “So, once we do finally get enough rain where those eggs are inundated with water and can hatch off, that’s when we really see mosquito populations increase.”
More mosquitoes can increase the risk of disease transmission, Rogers said. But she said the way West Nile virus was detected in Pasco County is a positive sign for public health monitoring.
“The sentinel chicken program is excellent, and it really has done exactly what it’s designed to do,” Rogers said.
The chickens are tested weekly for mosquito-borne illnesses. Rogers said that when an illness is found, the district does not wait for a health department advisory before responding.
“We have been out performing increased surveillance and very targeted control applications in affected areas for the last two weeks,” Rogers said. “We don’t wait for an advisory from the health department.”
Rogers said the chickens with West Nile virus were in two locations near the south-central part of Pasco County. She said the district uses ground and aerial treatments to help control mosquito populations.
The state health department’s latest report on mosquito-borne illnesses, covering July 12-18, showed one human and 11 sentinel chickens from eight counties had tested positive for antibodies for West Nile virus this year. At the time of that report, no locally acquired dengue cases were reported.
Mosquito-borne illness advisories or alerts had previously been issued for Alachua and Miami-Dade counties. Pasco County has now been added to that list.
“I would not say it’s cause for panic or alarm,” Rogers said. “What this does is helps us to bring awareness to the community, to help people understand that mosquitoes are capable of spreading deadly diseases.”
According to the health department report, animal cases of eastern equine encephalitis have been reported in 11 counties this year. No locally acquired cases of St. Louis encephalitis virus, chikungunya fever or Zika fever have been reported so far.
Rogers said residents can help reduce mosquito activity by removing standing water from around homes and businesses, using insect repellent with DEET and wearing long sleeves and pants. Residents who see a large increase in mosquito activity in their neighborhood can submit a service request through the Pasco County Mosquito Control District’s website.