ORLANDO, Fla. – Orange County is under a West Nile virus advisory after sentinel chickens used to monitor mosquito-borne illness tested positive, according to Orange County Mosquito Control.
Officials say the advisory took effect on Thursday and serves as a reminder that people can still be at risk even without obvious standing water in their yards.
Orange County Mosquito Control Manager Steve Harrison said it is not time for alarm but vigilance, as there is always virus activity in Central Florida.
“Don’t panic,” he said. “Just take precautions.”
There is, however, a current spike, which triggered the advisory.
“There’s always small levels of the virus around because we’re subtropical,” he said. “We monitor for this virus year-round.”
Harrison added that people throughout Orange County should still enjoy outdoor activities, but take precautions when mosquitoes are active.
“You can do the fun things, you can do the outdoor activities, you can still go to the parks, enjoy our parks, enjoy our water parks, just if mosquitoes are active and you’re starting to see mosquito presence, take precautions,” he said.
West Nile concerns come even as the area faces unusually dry conditions.
Harrison said out of 132 years of drought data, this is the tenth-driest year on record, and the county is eight inches behind normal rainfall.
However, that does not mean the risk disappears. Mosquitos do not much water to thrive, health officials say.
Mosquito Control says surveillance includes weekly blood testing of sentinel chickens strategically placed in coops around the county, which is how officials detected the recent spike.
Crews are treating mosquito larvae during the day and spraying for adult mosquitoes at night near bodies of water, officials said.
Additionally, new testing equipment in Orange County will allow health officials to test for the presence of the virus on mosquitos in-house.
This will allow for an expedited process, as opposed to sending the tests to Tallahassee for review.
Harrison recommends residents protect themselves by using EPA-approved insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants when possible, and avoiding peak mosquito activity at dawn and dusk.
Officials say the advisory will likely remain in effect through the end of the calendar year as mosquito season slows down.
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