Fulton County government says locally trapped mosquitoes found carrying West Nile virus

Days after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Georgia’s number of West Nile virus cases had tripled in a week, the Fulton County government reported locally trapped mosquitoes had tested positive as carrying the virus in multiple locations across the county, including near a middle school.

The Fulton County Board of Health has been trapping mosquitoes in areas near Big Trees Forest Preserve, Hermann J. Russell West End Academy, the South Fulton Center, and Grove, Spring Valley, Grant, Washington and Newtown parks.

Mosquitoes tested from those locations all were found to be carrying West Nile virus.

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The county health board said West Nile is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the United States, and can spread to humans from just one bite.

County officials said the Fulton County Board of Health sprays a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved adulticide within a quarter mile of the locations once a week for at least four weeks to help handle the spread of virus-carrying mosquitoes.

At the same time, health workers from Fulton County will visit nearby neighborhoods to give residents information about nighttime spraying activities.

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To best prevent a West Nile virus infection, county health officials said the main strategy is containing the bug’s population. “Practicing tip ‘n toss techniques is the easiest way to keep mosquitoes from laying eggs in and around your home,” according to Fulton County.

The county said residents should also make sure their gutters are clean, window screens are properly installed and to wear clothing that covers the neck, legs and arms, plus EPA-approved mosquito repellent while outside.

At this time, there are no vaccines to prevent the virus, nor medications to treat it.

However, as Channel 2 Action News has reported , most people infected never notice symptoms.

People who do show signs of West Nile virus can have the following symptoms, according to the CDC:

• Fever
• Headache
• Body aches
• Joint pain
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Rashes
• Fatigue and weakness

The CDC says that about one of every 150 people infected develop severe illness including encephalitis, inflammation of the brain, or meningitis, inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord.

For the people who develop serious illnesses from the virus, symptoms include:

• High fever
• Headache
• Neck stiffness
• Stupor
• Disorientation
• Coma
• Tremors
• Convulsions
• Muscle weakness
• Vision loss
• Numbness and paralysis

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