West Nile Virus detected in mosquito in Clifton Corridor area

West Nile virus advisories are not uncommon; see previous MANA posts on this topic.

The following advisory from DeKalb County's Board of health was relayed by Emory University today (July 25):

The DeKalb County Board of Health reports that a mosquito collection from a sampling station located near the Clifton Corridor area has tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV).  While the potential for WNV transmission exists throughout the metro area, this WNV positive collection does indicate a higher risk at this time in the Emory / Wesley Woods / Clifton Corridor area.

Please review the precautions below provided by the DeKalb County Environmental Health Department:

•       Apply insect repellent. DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide), picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus and IR3535 are effective repellents recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more information, please see:  http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/mosquitorepellent.htm.
•       When possible, wear long sleeves, long pants and socks. Clothing may also be treated with permethrin.
•       Use extra care when mosquitoes are most active. The mosquitoes that are most likely to carry West Nile virus are more active from dusk to dawn.

The DeKalb County Board of Health is aggressively working to prevent West Nile virus transmission. Program technicians will be providing additional mosquito control services in the area.

In addition, Emory Facilities Management is checking containers and other removable breeding sites, which may hold water.  As a standard precaution at this time of year, DeKalb County also encourages everyone to check around their apartments and homes for the following:  Flower pot saucers are one location where mosquito larvae are often found. Some items such as bird baths can be dumped and rinsed twice a week, but do need continual attention. Magnolia leaves should be raked up or shredded to keep them from holding water. Also, make sure roof gutters are clean and draining properly.

Requests for a mosquito assessment for your DeKalb County home can be reported to the Division of Environmental Health at 404-508-7900 or www.dekalbhealth.net 

West Nile Virus is back in town

DeKalb has reported the first West Nile virus-infected mosquito of the season via the AJC. No human cases have been reported for this year, but Georgia usually reports 10-20 cases/year.

According to CDC's fact sheet on West Nile virus

• Most people who are infected with West Nile virus (80%) experience no ill effects. 
• Up to 20% experience symptoms such as "fever, headache, and body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back. Symptoms can last for as short as a few days, though even healthy people have become sick for several weeks."
• Under 1% experience severe symptoms: "high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. These symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent.
• People over 50 years of age are more likely to experience symptoms.

The virus persists year-round but is a primary concern during warm weather, when adult mosquitoes are most active.  As a neighborhood rich in creeks and floodplains (potential breeding ground), animals (many domestic and wild animals may function as year-round reservoir for virus), and outdoorsy folks, we should protect ourselves and our neighbors by checking for and eliminating standing water sources that may be used as mosquito breeding areas at least on a weekly basis and avoiding  mosquito bites via protective clothing and application of insect repellent.

The NY Department of Health offers the following advice:

from  http://www.health.ny.gov/publications/2747/

See MANA's 2011 mosquito warning and the Georgia State Department mosquito-borne disease page.

DeKalb Co. issues West Nile Virus warning

DeKalb County Board of Health is reporting an increase in West Nile Virus. Per an early August news release from the GA Department of Public Health,

“The problem of mosquitoes and West Nile Virus has escalated this year in Georgia, as well as the rest of the country -- with the virus causing more serious central nervous system involvement than in past years,” said J. Patrick O’Neal, M.D., DPH’s Director of the Division of Health Protection.

Last week, Dekalb Co. reported its first human case in Tucker, GA. Thankfully, the patient is recovering at home.

West Nile is one of several viruses that can be transmitted by mosquito bites. Late spring to early fall are peak mosquito season. As Labor Day weekend approaches and many of us hope to spend some time outdoors, it's a good time to review basic mosquito-fighting measures:

•   Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks when outdoors, especially at dawn and dusk to reduce the amount of exposed skin
•   Consider using insect repellent containing DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or PMD.  DEET offers protection against mosquito bites up to 5 hours depending on how much DEET is in the product. Picaridin also provides relief from mosquito bites. Be sure to follow the instructions on the label.
•   Set up outdoor fans to keep mosquitoes from flying near you.

Symptoms of WNV include headache, fever, neck discomfort, muscle and joint aches, swollen lymph nodes and a rash that usually develop three to 15 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. The elderly, those with compromised immune systems, or those with other underlying conditions are at greater risk for complications from the disease. 

Visit the CDC's West Nile page for additional information.

Additionally, because mosquitoes can go from egg to adult in under 2 weeks, it is important to routinely check for and eliminate sources of standing water. Flower pots, pet dishes, wheelbarrows, trash cans or their lids, buckets, semi-permanent puddles created by air conditioner drainage or congested gutters and downspouts, forgotten pieces of plastic or tarps--any of these can become mosquito nurseries. Mosquito dunks (biological control for intentional reservoirs such as ponds and rain caches) are another way of breaking the mosquito breeding cycle.

Since mosquitos also transmit heartworm to dogs and cats, vigilance will benefit humans and pets alike. This may be particularly important this year, as reports of a shortage of the only drug used to treat heartworm-infected animals (Immiticide®) have surfaced in the local media as well as the AVMA website.