ATLANTA, Ga. — With West Nile virus detected again in mosquitoes at Chastain Park, health experts are urging metro Atlanta residents to take precautions as mosquito season continues.
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The timing is important. The CDC says West Nile infections occur during mosquito season, which runs from summer into the fall, with reported illnesses typically peaking in late August and early September.
That means even as summer winds down, the risk from infected mosquitoes has not disappeared.
The best protection against West Nile is preventing mosquito bites. The CDC recommends using an EPA-registered insect repellent, wearing long, loose-fitting clothing when possible and taking extra precautions between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes that can spread West Nile are most active.
Health officials also recommend eliminating standing water around homes, including water that can collect in buckets, flowerpots, birdbaths and other containers where mosquitoes can breed.
The precautions come after a mosquito trap at Chastain Park tested positive for West Nile virus for the second time this year.
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Officials said the same monitoring location had tested positive earlier in the summer. The city targeted the area around the positive trap for treatment and planned additional testing afterward.
For families who regularly use the park, the positive test is another reason to pay attention.
“My son plays golf over here alot so I was trying to be preventative measures for him to be protected,” one Fulton County resident said.
He said mosquito bites are already a common problem for him.
“Every time I can just walk from my garage over to my vehicle I can just get popped three or four times getting in and out of my car,” he said.
Dr. Sujatha Reddy with Northside Hospital says most people infected with West Nile virus never develop symptoms.
Those who do become sick may experience fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea or a rash. In a small number of cases, the virus can affect the nervous system and become much more serious.
“The severe symptoms are very rare. Severe symptoms can be neurological and affect the areas around the brain,” Reddy said.
Some residents say they are already taking additional steps at home.
“We typically spray in our house to keep the mosquitoes down,” Chris Moffett said.
Another resident said he recently treated the area around his own front door.
“As a matter of fact I was spraying fogger around my front door because I have bushes and so forth,” he said.
Georgia health officials advise residents to remain cautious during the warmer months and stay aware of West Nile activity in their area.
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