West Nile Virus Found in DeKalb County

While metro Atlanta eagerly awaits a break in the rain, it is important to remember to dump standing water and use mosquito repellent. The West Nile virus season has begun. According to the DeKalb County Board of Health, a routine collection of mosquitoes has tested positive for the virus. This is the first report of positive mosquitoes in metro Atlanta this year.

West Nile virus is spread by infected mosquitoes. It can cause serious, life-altering and even fatal disease. Although infected people over age 50 are at highest risk for serious illness, individuals of all ages can become ill. Some people develop a less severe illness called West Nile fever. This mild illness usually does not require medical treatment and goes away. Fortunately, most people who are infected with the virus do not have any ill effects. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 5,674 human cases of West Nile virus were confirmed nationwide last year. This is the highest number reported since 2003. Since there is no vaccine or treatment for West Nile virus, prevention is the key. “I am encouraging residents to learn about prevention and to protect themselves,” said S. Elizabeth Ford, M.D., M.B.A, district health director of the DeKalb County Board of Health.

The Board of Health recommends a number of ways to reduce mosquito breeding. You can eliminate the places mosquitoes reproduce by:

  • Dumping standing water. Be sure to check plant pots, toys, and tarps.
  • Storing wading pools so they will not collect water.
  • Disposing of old tires, cans and other containers.
  • Changing the water in birdbaths and pet dishes every three to four days.
  • Cleaning gutters and downspouts.
  • Keeping drains and ditches clean of trash and weeds.
  • Raking or shredding magnolia leaves.
  • Trimming tall grass, weeds and vines.

 

Effective repellents for use on skin and clothing contain DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535. Spray clothing with permethrin, which remains effective after repeated washing. Apply repellents according to label instructions. Using repellents on children requires special attention. Do not use DEET products on infants under two months old. Do not use oil of lemon eucalyptus products on children under three years old. An adult should apply repellent to their hands then rub them on the child. An
adult should not apply repellent to a child’s hands nor allow a child to apply repellent. Keep repellent out of the reach of children. Use mosquito netting over infant carriers and strollers. The Board of Health’s Division of Environmental Health monitors for West Nile virus through mosquito sampling. Since the virus can kill birds, the division also analyzes reports of dead birds. In addition, the staff works with residents and businesses to reduce mosquito populations.

Download the press release.

All DeKalb Public Health center are
now operating under their normal schedules.
*
Todos los centros de Salud Pública de DeKalb ahora
están operando bajo sus horarios normales.
SERVICE ALERT:

Due to a water main break along Clairmont Road, our North DeKalb Health Center will be closed for the remainder of the day. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. All appointments are being rescheduled or re-routed to one of our other health centers.
Stay tuned for updates. Thank you for your understanding!

ALERTA DE SERVICIO

Debido a una rotura en la tubería principal de agua a lo largo de Clairmont Road, nuestro Centro de Salud de North DeKalb estara cerrado por el resto del día. Pedimos disculpas por cualquier inconveniencia que esto pueda causar. Todas las citas se están reprogramando o redirigiendo a uno de nuestros otros centros de salud. Esté atentos a las actualizaciones. ¡Gracias por su comprensión!

SERVICE ALERT

Due to winter weather and potential hazardous travel conditions, all DeKalb Public Health centers will be closed on Thursday, January 23, 2025. Your safety is our top priority, and we urge everyone to stay safe and warm.

Please monitor dekalbpublichealth.com, our social media channels (Facebook, Instagram and X), and Atlanta-area news media for further operational updates.

ALERTA DE SERVICIO

Debido al clima invernal y las condiciones de viaje potencialmente peligrosas, todos los centros de Salud Pública de DeKalb estarán cerrados el jueves 23 de enero de 2025. Su seguridad es nuestra máxima prioridad e instamos a todos a mantenerse seguros y abrigados.

Esté atento a dekalbpublichealth.com, nuestros canales de redes sociales (Facebook, Instagram y X) y los medios de comunicación del área de Atlanta para obtener más actualizaciones operativas.

SERVICE ALERT:

Our health centers will be closed, December 25 and 26, 2025, in observance of the State holiday.

SERVICE ALERT:

Our health centers will be closed, on November 28 and 28, 2025, in observance of the State holiday.

SERVICE ALERT:

Our health centers will be closed, on November 11, 2025, in observance of Veterans Day.

SERVICE ALERT:

Due to unplanned maintenance,
our Clifton Springs Health Center will be on CLOSED on Monday, November 4, 2024.

Our East DeKalb, T. O. Vinson and North DeKalb
Health Centers remain open to serve you.

We apologize for any inconvenience and
appreciate your understanding. 

SERVICE ALERT:

Due to unexpected maintenance, our Clifton Springs Health Center will be closing early today at 2:30 p.m.
We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. Thank you!

SERVICE ALERT:

Our health centers will be closed, on October 13, 2025, in observance of the state holiday.

SERVICE ALERT:

Our health centers will be closed, on September 1, 2025, in observance of Labor Day.

SERVICE ALERT:

Our health centers will be closed, July 4, 2025, in observance of Independence Day.

SERVICE ALERT:

Our health centers will be closed, June 19, 2025, in observance of Juneteenth.

SERVICE ALERT:

Our health centers will be closed, May 26, 2025, in observance of Memorial Day.

SERVICE ALERT:

Our health centers will be closed April 18, 2025, in observance of the State holiday.

SERVICE ALERT:

Our health centers will be closed January 20, 2025, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr’s Birthday.

SERVICE ALERT:

Our health centers will be closed on January 1, 2025, in observance of the State holiday.

AIR QUALITY UPDATE 

Current weather models show that winds will begin to shift
from the east to the west after sunset on Wednesday.

Smoke from the BioLab facility fire in Rockdale County is predicted to settle towards the ground as it moves toward Atlanta. There is a high likelihood that people across Metro Atlanta will wake up on Thursday morning seeing haze and smelling chlorine.

For more information about health precautions, click here.

last updated 10/2/2024 at 5:45 p.m.

Warning SERVICE ALERT UPDATE Warning

DeKalb Public Health will resume normal operations
for all health centers and services at 8:15 a.m.,
on Monday, September 30.

SERVICE ALERT 

Due to today’s worldwide cybersecurity outage, some services have been impacted.

  • You may experience delays reaching our Call Center, which handles health center appointments.
  • WIC benefit issuance is unavailable at this time. However, eWIC cards can still be used at authorized WIC vendors.


This outage has not only affected DeKalb Public Health, but other government and business services, in Georgia, throughout the nation and internationally.

We apologize for the inconvenience and greatly appreciate your patience, as we work with our partners to fully restore systems.

SERVICE ALERT: Our health centers will be closed on Tuesday December 24 and Wednesday, December 25th, in observance of the holiday. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!