The Florida Department of Health in Alachua County recently had a chicken test positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis, which can be transmitted to humans by mosquitoes.
Hurricane season is mosquito season in Florida, and the Department of Health in Alachua County is looking to prevent people from developing diseases as a result.
The department has “sentinel chickens” placed throughout the county whose blood samples are taken on a weekly basis to detect mosquito-borne diseases, said Senior Public Health Services Manager Roger Dolz.
Blood samples last week showed that one of the chickens tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Dolz said.
“If humans get it, it can be devastating,” he said.
He said the finding wasn't surprising, because “Triple E,” as the disease is known, can often be found in the area near the start of summer.
The best way to prevent developing a mosquito-borne disease, Dolz said, is to avoid going outside around dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
If you need to be outside, he said, cover up with long sleeves and pants.
In addition, standing water from birdbaths, children’s toys, tarps and gutters should be cleared away, as they are all breeding grounds for the insect.
One tablespoon of water has the potential to breed up to 200 mosquitoes, Dolz said.
“It doesn’t take a lot of water to have a problem,” he said.