Sentinel Chickens Thwart Deadly Viral Diseases

These young Easter Egg chickens await placement at one of seven sites around Charlotte County where county biologists will test weekly for mosquito-borne diseases.

Not far from the Peace River and I-75, a lovely, mild-mannered, flock of some 75 Easter Egg Chickens recently prepared to stand sentinel between the population of Charlotte County and three deadly mosquito-borne diseases. During the first week of June, the chickens were distributed in groups of three among seven county sites, where their actual work will begin, alerting county officials if mosquitos carrying any of these deadly diseases show up here: West Nile Virus, St. Louis Encephalitis, Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

How do they do it and why chickens?

Explains Charlotte County Director of Mosquito and Aquatic Weed Control Scott Schermerhorn, “Chickens are dead end hosts for these viruses, meaning they can be bit by a mosquito carrying the virus but they won’t get sick and they won’t take the virus to another host.” He said the chickens are tested weekly for the viruses and thanks to them, the county does not have to do unnecessary chemical spraying against the three diseases until alerted by a positive result. 

The sentinel chicken season is roughly June through December, when mosquitoes are most active in southwest Florida. Each January, the flock is replenished with arrival of viral-virgin young chicks from Ohio. Actually managing the flock under Schermerhorn are Biological Specialists Sydney L’Heureux and Beth Kovach.

The good news is no chickens are harmed while doing their duty! In fact, being a sentinel chicken can be a cushy life! Many of the county’s chicken “cooperators” (hosts) at the seven sites spoil their sentinels. In exchange for a location to place the chickens and access as needed, the county provides the chicken coop, feed, and, of course, the chickens. The cooperators get to keep the eggs. If a chicken happens to test positive for one of the deadly viruses, it is removed from the test site and replaced with a virally sterile chicken. 

Charlotte County Biological Specialist Sydney L’Heureux holds Sentinel Chicken Ambassador Lavender.

 The chicken that is no longer useful as a sentinel might be donated to a 4-H’er as a project or join some resident’s flock. The county’s Sentinel Chicken Ambassador, Lavender, was once on the sentinel front lines until she tested virus positive. It so happens that Easter Egg chickens get their name for their colorful blue, green and pink eggs. Ambassador Lavender was so named because she was lavender colored as a young pullet. 

The sentinel chicken program began in the 1980s in Florida with an ugly outbreak of St. Louis Encephalitis. In Charlotte County, the Department of Public Works administers the program with funding included in its biannual budget. The program is not just limited to Florida, however; even states with arid climates administer sentinel chicken programs because large cities can have increased mosquito populations, due to standing water, usually created by humans. (There’s no substitute for the constant public education reminder for residents to empty all standing water where mosquitoes love to breed!)

In a large county the size of Charlotte that runs from coastal to inland, there are 40 resilient and formidable mosquito breeds that run the gamut of disease carrying, terrain breeding and time of day feeding. Some mosquitoes even specialize in the area of the human body they like to bite! 

As Florida statute specifies, a certain threshold of mosquitos must be reached or exceeded before spraying can be done in an area, it is important that Charlotte County Mosquito Control utilize every tool in its arsenal to take the battle to the mosquitos, every day, wherever they find them. If cute, fluffy chickens become an unlikely, but potent weapon in the fight against disease, thwarting mosquitoes and saving humans from deathly illness - not to mention red bumps and miserable itching - then Hooray for Sentinel Chickens!