Just a friendly reminder as you’re out and about this weekend (like at Saturday evening’s Concert on the Square) to take precautions against mosquito bites. Even though summer is drawing to a close, it is still West Nile virus season – in fact, the months with the most human cases of West Nile virus are August, September and October.
Precautions to prevent mosquito bites include:
- 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.
- 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.
For more information about West Nile virus and how to prevent its spread, please visit the DeKalb County Board of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention websites.
