DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Scott County health officials say some chickens that serve as an early-warning detection system for mosquito-borne diseases have tested positive for the West Nile virus.
The Quad-City Times (http://bit.ly/R9pcRZ ) says health officials announced the results on Wednesday in sentinel chickens, which are kept in cages and their blood in tested.
State health officials have confirmed 10 human cases of the illness, and several additional cases are being investigated.
Polly Carver-Kimm of the Iowa Department of Health says it's the prime time for human cases to occur. In 2011, there were nine human cases in Iowa, and two deaths resulted from the disease.
The nation is in the midst of one of the largest outbreaks of the West Nile virus.
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Information from: Quad-City Times, http://www.qctimes.com
