The first death this year in Georgia from West Nile virus has been reported. This comes as state health officials grow more concerned about the rise in cases.
An 80-year-old Clayton County man has died from complications of the virus. A spokesperson for the county's Board of Health says the man died last week in an Atlanta-area hospital. He had contracted the virus in late August.
State health officials today updated the number of cases in the state to 20-—that’s more than double the amount for all of 2006. While about half the cases of West Nile are in the metro Atlanta counties, several others are south of Macon, in Augusta, and in the Columbus-area.
Dr Susan Lance is epidemiology director for the Division of Public Health.
"We are very concerned about West Nile virus in Georgia this year. Normally September is our worst month for human cases, and we’re right in the midst of it, and we’d like to get the word out that people need to take precautions".
She says those precautions include wearing long-sleeve clothing outside, avoiding activity during dawn and dusk hours, and removing standing water in areas around a house.
An 80-year-old Clayton County man has died from complications of the virus. A spokesperson for the county's Board of Health says the man died last week in an Atlanta-area hospital. He had contracted the virus in late August.
State health officials today updated the number of cases in the state to 20-—that’s more than double the amount for all of 2006. While about half the cases of West Nile are in the metro Atlanta counties, several others are south of Macon, in Augusta, and in the Columbus-area.
Dr Susan Lance is epidemiology director for the Division of Public Health.
"We are very concerned about West Nile virus in Georgia this year. Normally September is our worst month for human cases, and we’re right in the midst of it, and we’d like to get the word out that people need to take precautions".
She says those precautions include wearing long-sleeve clothing outside, avoiding activity during dawn and dusk hours, and removing standing water in areas around a house.
