SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — County officials in coastal Georgia are asking residents to take preventative measures after a sampling of mosquitoes tested positive for West Nile Virus.
The Chatham County Health Department and the County Mosquito Control department asked residents Tuesday to try wearing long sleeved shirts and pants, avoid outdoor activity at dusk and dawn, wear insect repellent and drain containers of standing water to avoid being bitten by virus-carrying insects.
West Nile symptoms include headache, fever, neck discomfort, muscle and joint aches, swollen lymph nodes and a rash. They usually appear three to 15 days after the mosquito bite.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia had 99 cases of West Nile virus last year, including six that were fatal.
