Manatee County’s sentinel chickens have tested positive for West Nile Virus, and that’s a signal worth taking seriously here on the Suncoast. The Florida Department of Health in Manatee County and the Manatee County Mosquito Control District are coordinating surveillance and prevention efforts, but a big part of the solution happens in your own backyard.
Sentinel chickens are exactly what they sound like: birds placed in strategic spots to act as an early warning system. They don’t spread the virus to people, but when they test positive, it confirms infected mosquitoes are active in the area. That makes personal protection timely, not optional. Use repellent with DEET or picaridin, cover arms and legs around dusk and dawn, and drain anything holding standing water. Old flower pots, tarps, clogged gutters, and birdbaths are prime breeding grounds.
West Nile isn’t the only illness Florida tracks. State surveillance also covers Eastern equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, malaria, chikungunya, and dengue. If you find a dead bird, don’t touch it, just report it to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Have you done your yard sweep yet this week?
