MCHD places sentinel chickens throughout the county to monitor for diseases 07-07-26
July 7, 2026
MCHD places sentinel chickens throughout the county to monitor for diseases
MOBILE, Ala. — Since 1985, the Mobile County Health Department’s (MCHD) Vector Services has monitored sentinel chickens placed throughout the county to help detect the presence of viruses carried by mosquitoes. The next phase has begun, as 13 coops – each containing four hens – were deposited today in various predetermined locations.
“MCHD continues to conduct countywide surveillance and spraying for mosquitos,” said Dr. Kevin Michaels, Health Officer for Mobile County. “We are presently positioning these young hens throughout the county, and please keep watch for our MCHD spraying vehicles in our community.”
In April, 100 chicks arrived at Vector Services (a vector is any insect, rodent, or animal capable of harboring or transmitting diseases to humans) the day after being hatched. Vector Services keep the chickens in a facility that is a half-enclosed hen house and half-screened yard. It has taken several months for the chickens to mature enough to be placed into service.
Prior to the coops being dispatched, the chickens received their initial blood draws on Monday to ensure they were healthy. They have also been vaccinated for fowl pox, and a numbered band was attached to identify each hen.
Starting soon, the Vector Services inspectors will draw blood samples from the wings of two hens in each coop, usually on Mondays. The samples are sent to the Florida Department of Health Laboratory in Tampa. The tests can reveal the presence of West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and St. Louis Encephalitis.
With the use of 13 coops, it means only 52 hens are used at one time. The rest are kept in reserve at Vector Services. The program continues into the fall, usually until Thanksgiving or mid-December. At that point, the hens are put up for adoption. A new group of chicks will start the program the following spring.
Vector Services also has mosquito traps set up across Mobile County. The traps are used with reports from inspectors and complaints from the public to track the local mosquito population. There are more than 50 species of mosquitoes in Mobile County.
Since 2018, those collections from the traps are brought to researchers at the University of South Alabama on a weekly basis. An entomologist will identify and sort the mosquitoes into pools. A virologist will screen the pools for viruses Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya — along with West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and St. Louis Encephalitis — using high-throughput molecular methods.
Vector Services’ fleet of trucks has been covering 50 routes across Mobile County with night-time spraying since May. Vector Services is rotating first- and second-generation chemical insecticides and organo-phosphates so that no tolerance is built up in the mosquito population.
MCHD also offers an online portal that allows residents to request help from Vector Services and receive feedback related to mosquito or rodent concerns. Residents can learn more at mchd.org/vector-control. Those without internet access may call 251-690-8124 for Mosquito Control or 251-690-8819 for Rodent Control.
In addition, MCHD has launched an interactive story map to help residents track mosquito activity, learn about arboviruses, and find ways to protect themselves and their families. The story map is available through https://mchd.org/community-tools/