3 more West Nile chickens in upper St. Martin

Cool weather is here but that doesn’t mean the danger of catching West Nile from mosquito bites is over.
Jessie J. Boudreaux Jr. of Cajun Mosquito Control, the St. Martin Parish contractor for mosquito abatement, reported Friday that three sentinel chickens in Upper St. Martin Parish were found to have the virus.
The chickens’ locations were Butte LA Rose, Parks and Coteau Holmes.
Boudreaux said ground spraying will take place in those areas every evening from Saturday, Oct. 26, to Wednesday, Oct. 30, weather permitting.
The samples were collected on Oct. 21 and confirmed positive by the Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab on Oct. 25.
There have been two cases of West Nile virus fever in human beings in upper St. Martin Parish thus far this year.
West Nile can cause brain and spinal cord infections that can cause brain damage and death. The milder viral infection, West Nile fever, can cause flu-like symptoms or no symptoms at all.
DHH has been tracking West Nile virus for more than a decade, and statistics about its occurrence in Louisiana can be found in DHH’s weekly Arbovirus Surveillance Report, found on line at www.dhh.louisiana.gov/fightthebite.
Boudreaux continues to stress the need for residents to protect themselves from potentially affected mosquitoes by avoiding being outside around dusk and dawn, wearing light-colored clothing with long sleeves and pants, using insect repellent, and eliminating standing water to the extent possible.