The DeKalb County Board of Health has trapped West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes at 11 locations throughout the county.
Those locations include Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Lithonia, and Tucker.
The Board of Health is educating the public on how to eliminate mosquito-breeding sites and protect against bites. Officials are advising people to take the following precautions:
- Reduce mosquito breeding in your yard by eliminating standing water in gutters and items such as planters, toys, wheelbarrows and old tires.
- Discourage mosquitoes from resting in your yard by trimming tall grass, weeds and vines.
- Reduce outdoor exposure at dawn and dusk, when the mosquitoes that transmit West Nile virus are most active.
- Wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and socks when outdoors, particularly at dawn and dusk and in areas with large numbers of mosquitoes.
- Make sure window and door screens fit tightly to keep out mosquitoes.
- Use an insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535. Apply according to label instructions.
- Spray clothing with products containing permethrin according to label instructions.
The Board of Health has been conducting a comprehensive mosquito control program to help reduce the spread of West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases. For more information about the West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses, contact the DeKalb County Board of Health’s Environmental Health division.
