The Fulton County Board of Health confirmed that mosquitoes tested from southwest Atlanta have come back positive for the West Nile virus, reported by WSB-TV.
The Fulton County Board of Health recommends that you turn over flowerpots, cover wading pools, and throw out water stored in buckets and other containers after every rainfall to help prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your own yard.
“Taking these actions at least once a week can help prevent mosquito breeding,” the board said.
“The infected mosquitoes were detected in a trap at Brown Middle School near the southwest portion of the Atlanta Beltline,” the board of health said in a news release Tuesday.
“Although a single mosquito pool found in … southwest Atlanta tested positive, I encourage all residents to be vigilant in practicing personal protection and mosquito-control methods,” said Galen Baxter with the Fulton County Board of Health. “We’ve had a lot of rain in recent days, and warm temperatures coupled with containers holding rainwater create the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.”
The county said they collect and test mosquitoes for the virus every year from July to October. Last week, test results concluded that one pool tested positive for West Nile.
“Whenever there’s a positive mosquito pool identified, mitigation measures are put into place. This includes educating and informing neighbors as well as the use of EPA-approved mosquito adulticides and larvicides in and around the area to reduce the number of mosquitos and potential for human exposure. Adulticides are administered at night, which typically involves spraying from a truck. If you see a truck in your area spraying for mosquitoes, don’t be alarmed,” Baxter said.
