http://www.nwfdailynews.com/article/20150723/NEWS/150729750
Test results expected Friday will confirm or rule out two suspected cases of West Nile virus in Walton County.
Reports of possible human infection surfaced Monday and the county’s Health Department launched an investigation.
On July 17, three “sentinel” chickens in the care of South Walton County Mosquito Control were found to be carrying the virus, said Mosquito Control Director Ben Brewer.
The birds are placed in cages around the county and routinely tested to see if they’ve been bitten by infected mosquitoes.
“The sentinel chickens are there to warn us. They gave us three days’ warning,” Brewer said. “Friday we got confirmation and Monday we got a call that we had possible human infections. These chickens were definitely bitten by a mosquito that was carrying the virus.”
Brewer said the two people being tested for possible infection “lived in the resort of Sandestin.”
