The Decatur Minute

The following information comes from the DeKalb County Board of Health:

A mosquito collection from a DeKalb County Board of Health’s sampling station which is located in Decatur has been reported as positive for West Nile virus (WNV).

While most people infected with West Nile virus have no symptoms or experience mild flu-like symptoms, the virus potentially can cause serious and sometimes fatal illness. The chance that any one person is going to become ill from a single mosquito bite is low. The risk of severe illness and death is highest for people over 50 years old, although people of all ages can become ill.

The easiest and best way to avoid West Nile virus is to prevent mosquito bites. While the potential for WNV transmission exists throughout the metro area, this WNV positive collection does indicate a higher risk at this time in this area. Please remember to use the following precautions and remind your neighbors, friends and coworkers to do the same.

• 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/westnile/prevention/index.html
• When possible, wear long sleeves, long pants and socks. Clothing may also be treated with permethrin.
• Use extra care when mosquitoes are most active, particularly from dusk to dawn.

The DeKalb County Board of Health is aggressively working to prevent West Nile virus transmission. Program technicians will be in the area providing additional mosquito control services including applying larvicide and investigating for mosquito breeding sites. The larvicide product, metheprene, will keep mosquito larvae from developing into flying biting insects.

Along with the larvicide treatment, it is important to eliminate any containers and other removable breeding sites which may hold water for five or more days. Some items such as bird baths can be dumped and rinsed twice a week, but do need continual attention. Also, gutters should be cleaned and checked to make sure they drain properly.

For more information about West Nile virus, please refer to the following web sites:

• http://www.cdc.gov/westnile/
• http://dekalbhealth.net/envhealth/west-nile-virus/

Contact the Division of Environmental Health (404-508-7900) with any questions or concerns on this matter.

The City of Decatur will have mosquito repellent with DEET available at the Fire Department’s First Aid Tent, all of the Welcome/Information Tents around the festival and the Visitors Center during the Decatur Book Festival this weekend.

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Update: This meeting has been extended to 8:30 p.m.

What: Public Input Open House

When: Tuesday, August 28, 6 – 8:30 pm

Where: City of Decatur Public Works Building, 2635 Talley Street

The community is invited to attend the second drop-in public meeting for the Talley Street and Sams Street Transportation Improvements Study,Tuesday, August 28 from 6 – 8:30 pm . This is joint effort between the City of Decatur and the City Schools of Decatur is a project examining the transportation network and identifying improvements to accommodate the new developments and future changes.

With the new City Schools of Decatur 3-4-5 elementary school and the Avondale Transit Oriented Development, the southeast portion of the city is entering a transformative period. The study includes identifying improvements to address all modes of travel: pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles navigating through and around the area. This second open house is an opportunity for you to view the recommended improvements to the transportation network in the area and provide your feedback.  There is no formal presentation.

For more information, please contact Courtney Frisch, City of Decatur Project Manager, at 678-553-6577 or courtney.frisch@decaturga.com.

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A message from the DeKalb County Board of Health:

The West Nile virus (WNV) season had an aggressive start this year. There is a lot of virus in the mosquito population at this time. While there has not been in any human cases of WNV in DeKalb County; August, September and October are the months when most cases are reported. Take precautions, including using repellent, particularly at dawn and dusk when these mosquitoes feed.

Also remember to check around your property and eliminate any standing water that could last for five or more days.  There is a checklist on the DeKalb Board of Health website that can assist you in locating mosquito breeding sites around your yard or business. The mosquito species in our area do not travel far. Therefore, if you have mosquitoes in your yard, they are probably breeding there. Eliminating breeding sites will help minimize the mosquito population.

DeKalb County’s 2018 season WNV positive activity total now consists of no human cases of WNV infection and 47 WNV positive mosquito collections from 16 WNV positive mosquito trap locations.

For more information, visit www.dekalbhealth.net/envhealth/west-nile-virus/ or call (404) 508-7900.

Arbovirus Program Update Highlighting Program ActivityHuman Arboviral Disease Surveillance:

• West Nile Virus (WNV):
  • No cases* of WNV in DeKalb County residents
  • No cases* of WNV in Georgia
  • 1 WNV presumptive viremic blood donor in a Georgia resident (blood donation tested positive for WNV but donor did not develop symptoms)
  • 39 WNV cases* in CDC National Report including 10 in California and 10 in Louisiana

• Zika Virus:
  • No cases* of Zika virus in DeKalb County
  • No cases* of Zika virus in Georgia
  • 28 cases* in US states reported in CDC Report (28 in travelers returning from affected areas, no sexually transmitted and no local mosquito-borne transmission)

Mosquito Surveillance:

• 47 WNV positive mosquito collections
• 16 WNV positive mosquito trap locations
• No Zika positive mosquito collections
• 35 mosquito trap locations sampled in DeKalb County
• 250 collections of mosquitoes submitted for arbovirus testing
• 91 mosquito trap nights
• 6,892 mosquitoes counted and identified

Mosquito Control Efforts:

• 253 calls requesting mosquito control assistance received and visited
• 3001 homes visited in door-to-door educational efforts
• Over 4,800 storm drains and other mosquito breeding sites larvicided
• Detailed assessments where surveillance has indicated increased risk for virus activity

Additional Arbovirus Activity in Georgia:

• 1 case of internationally-acquired dengue (DeKalb County)
• 1 case of internationally-acquired chikungunya (Walton County)

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