A human case of the West Nile Virus has been confirmed in Dunwoody, according to the DeKalb County Board of Health.
The patient, a male in his 20s who lives in Dunwoody, is recovering at home. This is the first confirmed human case of the virus infection in DeKalb County in 2018, according to a press release.
Last year, a 72-year-old man in Brookhaven was confirmed as having the virus.
The Board of Health conducts a mosquito control program including testing mosquitos for the virus at numerous stations throughout the county. Mosquitos have tested positive for West Nile throughout the county.
The Board of Health also works to place larvicide in areas with standing water, like in storm drains, and these control measures have been conducted in Dunwoody.
The Board of Health advises people take these 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.
For more information about the West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses, contact the DeKalb County Board of Health’s Environmental Health Division at 404-508-7900 or visit www.dekalbhealth.net/envhealth/west-nile-virus/.