Mosquito season winding down, but caution still needed

The peak season for West Nile Virus in the Athens area ends around middle September, but while mosquito season is winding down, experts say the public should still be aware of potential dangers.

Elmer Gray, an entomologist with the University of Georgia's Cooperative Extension, said less rainfall in the area in recent days is helping keep the pest population in check.

"There certainly is not nearly as much water in the environment as had been earlier in the summer when it was raining so regularly," he said.

Still, Gray said there are precautions the public should take. People still need to wear light colored, loose-fitting clothing, and repellents to ward off disease-spreading mosquitos.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most people infected with West Nile Virus do not have symptoms. About one in five people who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms and about one in 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness.