GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Health officials say eastern equine encephalitis has been detected in Alachua County.
The Gainesville Sun (http://bit.ly/O6LXBj ) reports the mosquito-borne disease was detected in a sentinel chicken on July 13.
The county's environmental health director Anthony Dennis says the chicken will be retested.
Dennis says eastern equine encephalitis is often detected in the summer. Though it's rare for humans to contract the disease, he says it's one of the worst mosquito-borne illnesses. It can be fatal in humans.
The Sun reports no human cases have been reported in Alachua County in recent years. Dennis told the newspaper a Florida Panhandle resident was diagnosed with the disease last week. He lives in Holmes County but had recently spent time in Washington County.
Symptoms include headache, fever and muscle aches.
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Information from: The Gainesville Sun, http://www.gainesvillesun.com
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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