A person has died from West Nile virus in northeastern Tennessee, bringing the total number of deaths in the state to four.
Officials with the Tennessee Department of Health confirmed the death Friday. The exact location of the case was not known.
Several batches of mosquitoes have tested positive for the virus in Nashville. The most recent occurred in the following neighborhoods:
- Waverly/Belmont area near the intersection of Acklen Avenue and 12th Avenue South - third time this year mosquitoes have tested positive in this area
- Inglewood neighborhood near the intersection Gallatin Pike and Litton Avenue
- South Nashville neighborhood near the intersection of Edmonson Pike and Blackman Road
One human case of West Nile virus has been reported in Nashville, but it could be travel-related because the person had visited an area outside Tennessee before becoming ill.
The following steps can help protect against biting mosquitoes:
- Limit time outdoors at dusk and nighttime hours when mosquitoes are present.
- If you must be outdoors, wear a mosquito repellent that is approved for use by the CDC – those include products that contain DEET, Picaridin, and Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus.
- Wear shoes, socks, long sleeve shirts, and pants when outdoors during dusk to dawn when mosquitoes are most prevalent. Clothing should be light-colored and made of tightly woven materials to keep mosquitoes away from the skin. Pant legs should be tucked into shoes or socks, and collars should be buttoned.
- Make sure your windows and doors have screens and are in good repair.
To reduce mosquito breeding, follow these steps:
- Reduce or eliminate all standing water in your yard – especially in children’s toys, bird baths, clogged gutters, tires, flowerpots, trashcans, and wheelbarrows.
- Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with Gambusia fish.
- Apply mosquito dunks in standing water areas on your property.
- Cut back overgrown vegetation where mosquitoes hide.
