West Nile in Chickens?

[MayberrySaint]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18701604/

After reading the linked article, I wonder if anyone has lost any chickens to West Nile virus. I am not really concerned about me catching the virus from my chickens, but we do have an awful lot of mosquitos.
I wonder if I should risk spraying for mosquitos? I hate to use the pesticide in my free-range area.

Andy

 

[MTchick]

Chickens are extremely susceptible to West Nile virus. In fact, all the birds in the chicken family (like quail and grouse) do not usually survive infection. It is particularly dangerous to domestic chickens, I hate to say.

It would be really hard to know if you lost a chicken to WNV without doing tests, and most people that get WNV never even realize that was what it was. Typically you get fevery and miserable for a day or two and then you just get better- like a bad cold.

I wouldn't spray, personally. The spray is more likely to hurt something than the virus in my opinion. Just keep the property as dry and free of still water as possible, and if you do have water (like in buckets or streams) make sure it is either moving (by clearing logs out of a stream on your property), or clean it every day or two (for troughs or chick waterers). Even something as simple as a box fan will keep mosquitos out of a coop- skeeters hate wind.

-MTchick

 

[cookinmom]

In Jacksonville, where we used to live, they keep small 'test flocks' of chickens at some of the fire stations, to keep a watch for WNV and encephalitis.

Thanks for the tip,MTChick, re: the fan. One more reason to put a fan out for the girls!

 

[cookinmom]

Hey look what I just found:

http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/un192.pdf

Apparently, chickens don't get WNV! Yay!

Edited to add:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VM030

They don't get St Louis encephalitis either! The test flock thing threw me, but they just look for antibodies! I am so glad, because we have bajillions of mosquitos here!

 

[MayberrySaint]

Great info Cookinmom...I can rest easy now!!! I definitely trust that article as it is from my alma mater (class of 87). Go Nittany Lions!!!

Andy

 

[chickbea]

I heard that chickens are only carriers, and that they don't display symptoms (like typhoid Mary!).