BARTOW, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health in Polk County is warning people who live there that West Nile virus has been detected.
Health officials said several of the sentinel chicken flocks have tested positive for West Nile virus. That means the risk of it spreading to people goes up, according to health officials.
The department of health said right now, there are no cases of the mosquito-borne virus in humans and it will continue its prevention efforts.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention call West Nile virus the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the U.S.
The CDC reports 1 in 5 people who get infected will get a fever and other symptoms. The CDC says 1 in 150 people who become infected can get seriously ill and sometimes die from it.
The best ways to prevent mosquito bites is by using insect repellent and wearing long-sleeve shirts and pants.
What other people are reading right now:
- Hurricane Dorian could near Florida as a major Category 3 storm
- Live blog: Hurricane Dorian moves away from the Carribean on potential track to US
- Gov. Ron DeSantis declares state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Dorian
- What are spaghetti models?
- Tampa Bay-area counties offer sandbags to prepare for Hurricane Dorian
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10News app now.
Have a news tip? Email desk@wtsp.com, or visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
