Friday, September 13, 2019

DeKalb has first West Nile case for 2019

An East Atlanta woman in her 50s has become the first human case of West Nile Virus in DeKalb County this year. The DeKalb County Board of Health says it is going door to door is working to educate the public about eliminating mosquito breeding sites.

Earlier this summer, the health board announced it had trapped WNV-positive mosquitoes at 11 different locations in DeKalb County. West Nile Virus is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. People 60 years of age and older have the greatest risk of severe disease from WNV, which affects the central nervous system and can be fatal.

There were two West Nile virus cases in DeKalb County last year, one of them was fatal.