The West Nile Virus has emerged in Fulton as autumn approaches. Each year, concerns about the virus grow as the county faces the impact of mosquito breeding. A recent update from Fulton County’s Environmental Health Department emphasizes the importance of proactive measures. Dr. Brandon Leftwich, the Director of Environmental Health, is closely monitoring the situation.
How can you stay safe? Dr. Leftwich offers a key piece of advice: "Protect yourself." Fulton County has been actively trapping and testing mosquitoes in various locations—some of which have been confirmed hotbeds for West Nile in the past. In a statement obtained by the Fulton County, Leftwich says, "We have various site locations that we frequently trap and test mosquitoes and send them off to a lab." Yet with prevention, not just detection, Leftwich and the Fulton County Board of Health are doubling down on community education and mosquito breeding prevention tactics.
The board's mosquito monitoring division focuses not just on observation but on action. A central part of their strategy is the "Tip and Toss" campaign, which encourages residents to remove standing water in their yards—an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, as stated in the same news release.
As summer transitions to autumn, the Fulton County Environmental Health Department stays vigilant, urging residents to do the same. By providing knowledge and resources to the community.
