The latest lab report has confirmed the presence of West Nile virus (WNV) in Culex mosquitoes in the Rocky Hill area of West Knoxville and the Fourth Avenue area of North Knoxville. Following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protocol, the Knox County Health Department (KCHD) will spray for mosquitoes in these areas on Thursday, Sept. 7 between 8:45 p.m. and 2 a.m., weather permitting, to reduce the Culex mosquito population and the risk of WNV spreading to humans. Signs will be posted in the affected neighborhoods to alert residents, who are asked to stay inside during spraying and keep pets inside or in the backyard. Spray area details are below, maps are included.

To prevent mosquito bites and reduce mosquito habitats, officials recommend the following:

• Apply repellants to skin often; these can include lotions, liquids or sprays. The CDC recommends the use of repellants that contain DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane 3, 8-diol, and IR3535. The duration of protection varies by repellant; read labels on products to determine when reapplications are necessary for optimal protection.
• Wear long, loose and light-colored shirts and pants and wear socks.
• Treat clothing with permethrin or purchase pretreated permethrin clothing.
• Dispose of, regularly empty, or turn over any water-holding containers on your property such as tires, cans, flower pots, children’s toys or trash cans.
• To prevent breeding in large water-holding devices, including bird baths or garden pools, use larvicides such as mosquito torpedoes or mosquito dunks. If used properly, larvicides will not harm animals.
• More tips can be found at: http://www.knoxcounty.org/health/mosquitoes.php

Fourth Avenue Spray Area:

Cooper Street north of West Fifth Avenue; West Fifth Avenue from Cooper Street to Boyd Street; West Fourth Avenue; Elm Street; Marion Street; Dameron Avenue; Hatton Avenue; Burgess Avenue; Baxter Avenue from Elm Street to Wray Street; Lee Street; and Bernard Avenue will be treated on Thursday, Sept. 7, weather permitting. Follow-up spraying is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 21, weather permitting.

Rocky Hill Spray Area:

Sentry Lane; Antrim Way; Red Bay Way; Tranquilla Drive; Hampson Lane; Redeemer Lane; Pinner Drive; Scottie Lane; Hawthorne Drive; Ownby Lane; Alki Lane; Dukesbury Drive; Kingsbury Drive; Queensbury Drive; Scotsbury Circle; Village Drive; Covington Drive; Wilmington Drive; and Rocky Hill Ballfields will be treated on Thursday, Sept. 7, weather permitting. Follow-up spraying is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 21, weather permitting.

These treatments are in addition to follow-up sprayings in the Carter, Fairmont and Tower Drive areas scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 5; and sprayings scheduled in the Heron’s Point, Karns and Venice Road areas forThursday, Sept. 7. A complete schedule is available at knoxcounty.org/health. Any decisions to reschedule sprayings based on weather conditions, such as rain, low temperatures or high winds, will be made at the time of spraying and will be announced the following morning.

To reduce the risk of mosquito-borne disease, KCHD conducts a West Nile virus control program during the summer and fall months. As the weather warms each spring, public health professionals begin a weekly process of trapping and testing mosquitoes for WNV, a mosquito-borne disease which can infect humans, horses and birds. From March until the first frost, KCHD also uses larvicides in areas with standing water to prevent mosquito proliferation. These efforts are in addition to KCHD’s work to assess and monitor for other mosquito-borne illnesses. More information is available by calling 865-215-5200 or visitingwww.knoxcounty.org/health.