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Martin County mosquito control shows how 'sentinel chickens' help detect mosquito‑borne illnesses
Summary
Mosquito control staff presented a video to the CRA board explaining a sentinel‑chicken monitoring program: chickens are blood‑tested weekly for antibodies to mosquito‑borne viruses, positives prompt targeted trapping and spraying, and birds are rehomed after 6–12 months.
Martin County mosquito control staff showed the CRA board a short video demonstrating the county’s sentinel‑chicken program, which the county uses to detect mosquito‑borne illnesses early.
The presentation explained the basic method: county technicians take a small blood sample from hens placed in seven coops across the county, check the birds three times a week, and run blood tests every Friday for antibodies. "If a chicken is bitten by an infected mosquito, it will develop antibodies to fight off the virus without ever becoming sick," the video narration said. Chickens are described as "dead‑end hosts" that do not transmit the virus back to mosquitoes or people; when a chicken tests positive, the county intensifies local trapping and spraying and returns the bird to the main coop to rest.
Staff said chickens typically participate in the sentinel program for six to 12 months before being rehomed to residents or farms. The program is intended to give mosquito control an early warning to focus mitigation operations and reduce public‑health risk.
