DeKalb reports second case of West Nile virus

Mosquitoes caught for testing await shipment to a lab. JOHN MOORE / GETTY IMAGES

Mosquitoes caught for testing await shipment to a lab. JOHN MOORE / GETTY IMAGES

A 78-year-old DeKalb County man has become the second case of the West Nile virus infection in the county, an official said Tuesday.

The man, who was not identified, is in a hospital, county Board of Health spokesman Eric Nickens Jr. said in a news release. The man lives in an unincorporated area between Chamblee and Tucker.

Earlier in July, a 72-year-old Brookhaven man was hospitalized with the virus in the first human case in the county this year.

Officials have identified 30 West Nile virus-positive mosquito pools at 14 locations in the county, Nickens said.

“To reduce the spread of West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases, the Board of Health provides an integrated mosquito control program,” Nickens said. “Program technicians routinely trap mosquitoes throughout the county, which are tested for viruses.

“Technicians also work with residents to reduce mosquito infestations, including placing larvicide in sources of standing water, like storm drains. This keeps young mosquitoes from becoming flying, biting adults.”

For more information about the virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses, contact the county's environmental health division at (404) 508-7900 or go to  www.dekalbhealth.net/envhealth.

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