The Florida Department of Health, Martin County Board of County Commissioners and the Town of Jupiter Island urge residents to take precautions to prevent mosquito bites following confirmations of West Nile virus in sentinel chicken flocks in the Hobe Sound/Jupiter Island area. Martin County conducts routine testing for mosquito-borne viruses using chicken flocks in various areas of the county. At this time, there are no suspected or confirmed human cases in the county, though the risk of transmission to humans has increased.

Drain & Cover
To protect against mosquito bites, residents should wear protective clothing, such as long sleeves or pants, and apply insect repellent according to directions when outdoors, especially at dawn or dusk when mosquitoes are more active. Residents are also advised to repair or replace any broken windows or screens, and drain any standing water around their home or businesses as mosquitoes leave eggs in even small amounts of water.

A video “Drain & Cover” for mosquito bite prevention can be found here.

For more information on mosquito borne diseases and symptoms or call the Florida Department of Health in Martin County at 772-221-4000.

For more information on controlling mosquitoes, visit: https://www.martin.fl.us/MosquitoControl or call Martin County Mosquito Control at 772-419-6974.