News Animals

Dim lighting may raise the risk of a West Nile virus exposure

Sentinel chickens got the most West Nile virus exposures in low-light areas

street light in a suburban neighborhood

West Nile virus thrives in dimness. Low levels of artificial light at night were associated with increased West Nile virus exposure in Florida’s sentinel chickens, a new study shows.

Patrick Strattner/Getty Images Plus

By Bethany Brookshire

Don’t dim the lights. A survey using more than 6,000 chickens across Florida shows that low levels of light pollution may increase the risk for West Nile virus exposure, researchers report March 24 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.