Fulton County Board of Health Readies for ZIKA Mosquito Season

The Fulton County Board of Health has launched an expanded and coordinated public awareness campaign to prevent any  local transmission of mosquito-borne viruses, especially Zika, from taking hold in metro Atlanta this summer.

Tip ‘n Toss all standing water!  Every three days!  

According to the CDC, one of the most effective ways of preventing the spread of the Zika virus is to control the mosquito population by eliminating standing water where mosquitoes breed. 

Zika Prevention PSA

Fulton County Board of Health officials strongly advise area residents to actively check around their homes and apartments and Tip ‘n Toss all standing water in flower pots, planters, children’s toys and outdoor furniture,  especially after every rainfall.  

Residents are also advised to clean out gutters, remove piles of leaves and keep vegetation cut low to prevent landing sites for adult mosquitoes to breed. These Tip ‘n Toss efforts will dramatically reduce the chances of local transmission in Fulton County.

To date, there has been NO local transmission of the Zika virus in Georgia.  However, according to the CDC, there have been two confirmed travel-related cases in 2017 in Fulton County—both cases occurred during travel to countries where the virus is active.

This year’s Tip ‘n Toss campaign augments Fulton County’s extensive annual mosquito surveillance and control efforts which include monitoring 12,000 mosquito traps and coordinating mosquito surveillance data with officials from the CDC and the Georgia Department of Public Health.  

If nuisance areas are identified by Fulton County Environmental Health as potential trouble spots for mosquitoes that carry Zika or West Nile Virus, Fulton County’s pest control contractor will immediately conduct barrier spraying and apply naturally derived larvicide dunks to control mosquito growth.  

For more information, check out www.preventzikainfulton.com for prevention information and updates. Residents can call the Mosquito Hotline at 404-613-1303 to report issues with standing water.