Florida - HEALTH OFFICIALS ISSUE MOSQUITO- BORNE ILLNESSES ADVISORY - Eastern equine encephalitis Virus

[Mary Wilson]

June 26, 2023
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Contact:

Crystal Steele Crystal.Steele@flhealth.gov 850-892-8021

Walton County Fla.—The Florida Department of Health in Walton County (DOH- Walton) today advised residents there has been an increase in mosquito-borne disease activity in areas of Walton County.

Several sentinel chickens have tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis Virus infection. The risk of transmission to humans has increased. South Walton County Mosquito Control, North Walton Mosquito Control and (DOH-Walton) continue surveillance and prevention efforts.

DOH-Walton reminds residents and visitors to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes and to take basic precautions to help limit exposure. ...

https://www.floridahealth.gov/disea...ases/_documents/advisory-walton-6-19-2023.pdf
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[Mary Wilson]

Potentially deadly virus found in South Walton County among mosquitos

Posted: Jun 27, 2023 / 04:52 PM CDT
Updated: Jun 27, 2023 / 06:18 PM CDT
by: Kimber Collins​

WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — Recent rainfall is helping one population thrive, mosquitos.

The Florida Department of Health in Walton County sent out a health advisory Monday, June 26 for South Walton residents and visitors about a potentially deadly virus carried by the insects, EEE or Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

Chickens across Florida are the first line of defense against mosquito-borne illnesses. Poultry in South Walton County seeing a spike in the virus.

“We have 13 coop sites here in South Walton alone. Each one of those sites holds 4 chickens,” said Bernadette Canut, public outreach coordinator for the South Walton County Mosquito Control District. “The mosquito will bite the chicken. We draw blood on them. On Mondays we ship that out, it gets tested and then we receive the numbers back and that will alert us to know there’s an uptick and that is exactly what happened here.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, although rare, EEE is very serious. Approximately 30% of people with the virus die and many survivors have ongoing neurologic problems. ...

The chickens used for mosquito testing are not harmed. Many actually lay eggs that are good for human consumption. Once tested positive for a virus the hens are moved to a safe facility or taken by employees to live out the rest of their days. ...

https://www.mypanhandle.com/news/lo...found-in-south-walton-county-among-mosquitos/