The bad news

is that the West Nile virus, an infection that can produce encephalitis,

is here in north central Georgia.

The good news

is that the risk of contracting the disease is highly preventable by simple

measures.

Fayette County

public health professionals met last week to share information and to

map strategy for prevention of West Nile in the county, said Robert Kurbes,

environmental health specialist with the county Health Department. Cynthia

Grant, director of public health nurses, coordinated the symposium, conducted

at Fayette Community Hospital.

Kurbes said

that officials from all three fire departments were present, as well as

personnel from the Health Department, the Board of Education, building

and grounds departments, even county animal control.

Kurbes summarized

the discussion for The Citizen:

"The disease

is transmitted only through the bite of a few particular types of mosquito,

he said, which means that the primary lines of defense are the protection

of one's own body and the elimination of the insect's breeding sites.

"Protect

yourself, especially during the period from dusk until after dark,"

Kurbes said, "by wearing light-colored long sleeves and long pants

if you're going to be outdoors. On exposed skin, apply insect repellent

containing DEET."

Asked whether

earlier questions about DEET itself had been addressed, Kurbes said they

had to do with inhaling the propellant that was formerly used to apply

DEET in aerosol form. The product, also labeled N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide,

now comes in pump sprays or lotion, and is no longer of concern except

when used on young children or infants.

"Be careful

of the concentration," which should be less than 10 percent when

used on children, Kurbes said. He added that there is also the potential

for allergy in any product.

Eliminating

conditions favorable to mosquito breeding is an equally important step

in safeguarding oneself and one's family and neighbors.

"The good

thing helping us is that the mosquitoes that transmit West Nile virus

don't fly more than a couple of hundred yards," Kurbes said. "Evaluate

your property for breeding sites. Without a doubt, mosquitoes must have

standing water to breed."

Mulch piles

and dense ivy growth ­ while cool, damp and shady ­ are not

breeding grounds. The adult insects may hang out there, Kurbes said, but

that's not where they are laying eggs.

The official

also noted that while wetlands may seem to be the kind of place mosquitoes

use for reproduction, the fact is that most have changing water levels

or flowing streams. The bugs can't breed where there is any type of ripple,

as in creeks or streams, he said. "For one thing, the larvae prefer

quiet standing water, and secondly, in a wetland ecosystem, there are

biological controls like fish, frogs and tadpoles, and the larvae of dragonflies

­ they eat mosquito larvae."

Birds are also

a good defense against mature mosquitoes, which is why Kurbes said he

is growing gourds this summer: He'll turn them into purple martin houses

next year.

The reality,

Kurbes said, is that "you can never get rid of all mosquitoes, especially

the variety that prefer man-made containers to breed in, but by cleaning

up your own yard, you protect yourself and your community."

Any place where

water may stand, even in depths as little as a quarter inch, Kurbes said,

offers conditions favorable to mosquitoes' reproduction. And while some

sites come to mind quickly, the worst offenders may be less obvious. These

are typical:

Clogged gutters.

Bird baths

­ the time from when the egg is laid until the adult mosquito emerges

runs from seven to 11 days. Solution: Empty bird bath and refill it every

three to four days.

Old tires

­ notorious breeding sites, found less often in residential areas,

but common out in the county.

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