Health officials in Georgia say they've found mosquitoes that test positive for West Nile virus this year. The DeKalb County Board of Health said in a press release on Friday that mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile virus were found in Tucker.
The West Nile virus is a disease spread through mosquito bites. It is most commonly discovered during summer and fall months when mosquito activity is more common. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only about 20 percent of those infected experience a fever and other symptoms. Approximately 1 out of 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness.
The CDC says no human cases of West Nile virus infection have been confirmed in Georgia this year.
Elmer Gray is an entomologist with the UGA Cooperative Extension Service.
Gray says the peak transmission time for West Nile Virus is August 15 to September.