West Nile virus found in mosquitoes in Clayton

Mosquitoes infected with the West Nile virus have been found in Clayton County, health officials announced today.

The Clayton County Board of Health declined to identify where the sample was collected, other then saying it was found in the central part of the county.

County workers are spraying the area but advise residents to take precautions.

“Although this is the county’s first positive sample this season, it is not unexpected, as West Nile virus has been found in mosquitoes from time to time throughout the Atlanta metro area in recent years,” said Alpha Fowler Bryan, director of the Clayton County Board of Health.

Last September, an 80-year-old Clayton County man died of the disease. He was the first West Nile death in Georgia for 2007.

Symptoms of West Nile virus include headache, fever, neck discomfort, muscle and joint aches, swollen lymph nodes and rash. In rare cases, the disease can lead to inflammation of the brain or spinal cord.

Although the area is in the middle of a drought, health officials say Clayton is experiencing a “very active” mosquito season. Hot weather causes mosquitoes to thrive and increases the public’s exposure to bites, Bryan said.

Clayton health officials recommend the following:

• Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks when outdoors, particularly during dawn and dusk.

• Wear insect repellent containing DEET.

• Remove standing water. Check flowerpots, old tires, buckets and other containers. Mosquitoes can breed in a puddle or standing water that remains for more than four days.

• Turn over plastic wading pools, wheelbarrows and outdoor toys.

• Keep swimming pools clean and properly chlorinated.

• Remove standing water from pool covers

• Repair leaky pipes and outside faucets

• Keep gutters clean and sloped to the downspout

• Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers left outdoors

• Repair holes in screens or windows

• Purchase and use the larvicide Mosquito Dunks.