West Nile found in Acadia

A sentinel chicken in Acadia parish has tested positive for indicators of the West Nile virus.
Glenn Stokes, owner and CEO of Mosquito Control Contractors, Inc., reported Friday morning that the virus was discovered in a chicken posted near the community of Maxie, along Louisiana Highway 35.
MCCI is the mosquito control contractor for Acadia Parish.
“We take this very seriously. We’ve gone to our West Nile protocol for spraying,” Stokes said. “We’re talking to residents within a mile radius (of the infected chicken) and we’re looking for mosquito breeding sites.”
Stokes also strongly urged all horse owners in the area to have their horses vaccinated.
According to Stokes, this find is the first in all of the eight-parish Acadiana region. There has been only one other case of West Nile in Louisiana this year — in Terrebonne Parish.
“We know that West Nile is endemic in Louisiana and has been since it first came here 13 years ago,” Stokes said. “We’re going to have cases every year, some more than others.”
Stokes said MCCI will increase its spraying efforts in the area of the find and will continue checking the parish’s 16 sentinel chickens.
“It’s still relatively early in the year for West Nile,” Stokes added. “It (the virus) usually peaks in August and September. We urge citizens to take precautions.”
West Nile virus is most commonly transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. You can reduce your risk of being infected with WNV by using insect repellent and wearing protective clothing to prevent mosquito bites.
There are no medications to treat or vaccines to prevent WNV infection. Most people infected with WNV will have no symptoms. About 1 in 5 people who are infected will develop a fever with other symptoms.
Fewer than 1 percent of infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, neurologic illness.