Delaware’s first case of West Nile Virus this year is detected in DNREC’s sentinel chickens.
This initial occurrence of West Nile Virus was found in eight sentinel chickens that help DNREC monitor for mosquito-borne illnesses.
The DNREC Mosquito Control Section’s July 22nd sample tested virus-positive at the Delaware Division of Public Health Laboratory on July 24.
The positive results came from five of the 20 sentinel chicken stations statewide with three positive results from New Castle County and one each in Kent and Sussex Counties.
There have been no positive results in humans, but contracting mosquito-transmitted diseases is more common now until colder autumn temperatures arrive in mid-October or later.
And horse owners are urged to vaccinate their animals. State Veterinarian Karen Lopez explains what to look for in a horse with West Nile Virus.
"Fever, stumbling, muscle twitching and seizures, grinding teeth, and they can be abnormally sensitive to touch or sound and in serious cases the horses can go down and be unable to rise. And those animals are the most likely to have to be euthanized unfortunately," said Lopez.
According to the Delaware Department of Agriculture, there were seven equine cases of WNV in 2023.
Lopez says pet owners should be fine.
"97% of reported non-human cases do occur in horses. It's highly unlikely that a dog, a cat, or any of your other animals at home would be infected by West Nile Virus," said Lopez.
To help prevent mosquito borne illnesses and mosquitos you should eliminate outdoor items that collect water, and horse owners can put fans in horse stalls and use insect repellents for horses.
