Mosquito-borne disease can be prevented by avoidance measures 09.24.25

September 24, 2025

Mosquito-borne disease can be prevented by avoidance measures

MOBILE, Ala. — During the summer months and early fall, Mobile County experiences increased reports of mosquito issues. The Mobile County Health Department (MCHD) maintains an active surveillance program that involves sentinel chickens, mosquito collections, and case reporting from healthcare providers within the community.

“We continue to have mosquito complaints in our county,” said Dr. Kevin Michaels, Health Officer for Mobile County. “Don’t let your guard down. Continue to use insect repellant and to monitor your outside areas for standing water sources. MCHD is actively controlling mosquitos throughout the county.”

MCHD tracks several types of mosquito-borne illnesses.

“We have had human and sentinel chicken cases along with positive mosquitos for West Nile Fever in Mobile County,” Dr. Michaels said. “However, there have been no reports this year of human cases of Eastern Equine, Western Equine, and St. Louis encephalitis, or Chikungunya, Zika, and other diseases.”

MCHD has active partnerships with the University of South Alabama (USA) and the University of South Florida (USF), supporting each of these programs. USA tests mosquito pools for the presence of the virus known to cause arthropod illnesses, and USF tests the chicken blood for antibodies demonstrating transmission in the community.

“Both universities’ programs aid in targeting our mosquito control efforts in Mobile County,” said Dr. Derrick Scott, Bureau Director of MCHD’s Environmental Health.

Our online portal is now available to help the public request assistance from Vector Services and receive feedback on their request to deal with mosquitoes or rodents. To learn more, visit https://mchd.org/vector-control. From there, you can find a link and a QR code to access the new online portal for ordering services. The telephone numbers for those without internet access are 251-690-8124 for Mosquito Control and 251-690-8819 for Rodent Control.

MCHD has launched an interactive story map focusing on mosquito activity and arbovirus surveillance. This tool is for the public to learn about mosquitoes, the arboviruses they cause, and how they can protect themselves. Residents can find the link at https://mchd.org/ under “Community Tools.” It can also be found at the following link: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/ce89a50495fa4a908880cefe903506b5.