By By ROBERT BLANKENSHIP – Managing Editor
The Escambia County Health Department has been notified by state lab officials that two more birds from Escambia County have tested positive for West Nile Virus. This brings the total number of county animals tested positive for the virus to four.
The latest confirmed cases of WNV are a crow from Brewton and a blue jay from Atmore. The first confirmation was a Brewton crow and the second an owl located in Atmore.
Ricky Elliot, public health environmentalist with the Escambia County Health Department, said that no more birds from the county will be sent for testing.
Although there are four confirmed cases, Elliot said the county is lucky to not have any larger animals diagnosed with the disease.
Elliot said that residents needed to continue practicing safety measures to protect themselves from WNV. He said the mosquitoes carrying the disease will likely remain in the county until the first freeze.
So far, two elderly women, both of Montgomery County, have died of West Nile Virus in Alabama. There have been 30 infections confirmed.
Scientists studying the virus has confirmed one of the specific carriers of the virus as a particular type mosquito that thrives in stagnant water that may be found in flower pots or paint cans.