PINELLAS COUNTY, FL (WFLA)- Pinellas County Mosquito Control confirmed a positive test for West Nile virus in a sentinel chicken on Tuesday, July 14, marking the second confirmed positive in Pinellas County this year. The chicken was located near Lake Maggiore in St. Petersburg.
The first positive test was confirmed Wednesday, July 8, in a chicken located on the grounds of the county’s Keller Water Treatment Facility in Tarpon Springs.
Sentinel chickens serve as an early-warning detection system for some mosquito-borne diseases and can signal the fact that mosquitoes carrying the diseases are present in the area. There are eight locations in the county where chickens are kept and tested weekly.
Mosquito Control technicians are aggressively treating known breeding areas by ground and by air, as well as responding to requests from residents. Additional fogging and treatment efforts are ongoing in the areas where the positive sentinel chickens were located.
The Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County continues to monitor sentinel chicken trends.
Residents are urged to be diligent in ridding their properties of standing water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding. Mosquitoes can breed in as little as one quarter inch of standing water, so the following precautions are advised:
• 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
In addition, the Florida Department of Health advises residents to follow “Drain and Cover” preventative measures by draining standing water to stop mosquitoes from multiplying as well as covering skin with clothing and using mosquito repellent. For more information, visit www.floridahealth.gov.
Visit www.pinellascounty.org/mosquito to find a mosquito control request form and additional information about stopping mosquitoes. Residents can also call Pinellas County Mosquito Control at (727) 464-7503.
The Pinellas County “Doing Things for You” app is available for residents to report issues and access useful resources. Pinellas County can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. More information is available on the county website, www.pinellascounty.org, which features LiveChat for assistance. Pinellas County complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
