From the Red Bluff Daily News
September 7, 2020
RED BLUFF — A sentinel chicken in Tehama County has been confirmed to have West Nile virus, according to a press release from the Tehama County Health Services Agency and Mosquito and Vector Control District.
The diagnosis was confirmed by the California Department of Public Health Vector-Borne Disease Section lab in Sacramento, the release said. Sentinel chickens have their blood checked to detect the presence of West Nile virus and do not develop symptoms.
It is important for county residents to take measures to reduce the risk of contracting the virus. Late-spring rains have caused standing water, which is a breeding source for mosquitoes, the release said. Hot temperatures are a contributing factor to the increasing numbers of mosquitoes breeding, which then increases the risk of virus transmission to humans.