The DeKalb County Board of Health announced that a mosquito sampling near Ashford Park tested positive for West Nile virus. Most infected with the virus have mild flu-like symptoms or none at all, but the virus can cause serious and sometimes fatal illness. The chance of becoming ill from a single mosquito bite is low. The risk is highest for people over 50 years old, but people of all ages can become ill.
The county is working to prevent transmission of the virus, looking for mosquito breeding sites and applying larvicide. The best way to avoid West Nile virus is to prevent mosquito bites.
The county asks the public to use the following precautions:
- Apply insect repellent. DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus and IR3535 are effective repellents.
- When possible, wear long sleeves, long pants and socks. Clothing may also be treated with permethrin.
- Use care when mosquitoes are most active, particularly from dusk to dawn.
- Empty containers which hold water; scrub and rinse bird baths twice a week; clean gutters to drain properly.
Information: www.dekalbhealth.net; 404-508-7900.
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