A mosquito trap in ZIP code 30329 tested positive for West Nile virus, marking the first confirmed detection this season in a postal area that includes Brookhaven.
DeKalb Public Health announced Tuesday, Aug. 18, that lab results confirmed the positive trap. The ZIP code also covers portions of Atlanta, Chamblee and unincorporated North Druid Hills.
The finding brings DeKalb County's season total to seven positive mosquito traps since July 22. No human cases of West Nile have been confirmed in the county this year.
Previous detections
Earlier positive traps this season were found in Avondale Estates, Clarkston, Stonecrest, Doraville and the Redan area. Four traps tested positive Aug. 17 in ZIP codes farther from Brookhaven's core neighborhoods.
The Aug. 18 result is the first to land squarely in a ZIP code covering Brookhaven proper.
DeKalb Public Health has not disclosed the exact location of the trap within 30329 or said whether targeted treatments will be deployed in the area, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. The county does routinely place larvicide in storm drains and standing water to kill young mosquitoes before they become biting adults.
What residents should do
Health officials urge residents to take these steps:
- Dump standing water from gutters, planters, toys, wheelbarrows and old tires at least once a week.
- Limit time outdoors at dawn and dusk, when virus-carrying mosquitoes are most active.
- Use EPA-registered repellents containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535. Clothing can be treated with permethrin spray.
- Trim tall grass and weeds, and check that window and door screens fit tightly.
Most people infected with West Nile show no symptoms. About one in five develop fever, headache, body aches or rash. About one in 150 develop serious illness that can include disorientation, neck stiffness and muscle weakness.
Statewide context
Two human West Nile case has been reported in Georgia this year, in Muscogee County and Chatham County, according to the CDC. Fulton County has also reported positive mosquito traps but no human infections.
The last confirmed human cases in DeKalb County were in 2023, when three people tested positive, including a man in his 20s in southeast Atlanta and residents in the Lake Claire and North Druid Hills areas.
Eric Nickens Jr., DeKalb Public Health's communications and media relations manager, authored the Aug. 18 press release. The department has not announced when the next round of trap results will be available.
Residents with questions can contact DeKalb Public Health's Environmental Health division at (404) 508-7900.
