The latest lab report has confirmed the presence of West Nile virus (WNV) in Culex mosquitoes in the Fairmont Boulevard, West Emory Road and West Hills areas of Knox County. Following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protocol, the Knox County Health Department (KCHD) will soon spray for mosquitoes in these areas, 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.

The Fairmont Boulevard area will be sprayed on Thursday, Sept. 20 between 8:30 p.m. and 2 a.m. A previously scheduled follow-up spray in the Milligan Road area of Knoxville will also take place Thursday, Sept. 20 between 8:30 p.m. and 2 a.m.

The West Emory Road and West Hills areas of Knox County will be sprayed for mosquitoes Tuesday, Sept. 25 between 8:30 p.m. and 2 a.m.

To reduce your risk of WNV and other mosquito-borne diseases, KCHD recommends:

• Applying repellants to skin often; these can include lotions, liquids or sprays. The CDC recommends the use of repellants containing one of the following ingredients: DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, 2-undecanone or IR3535. The duration of protection varies by repellant. Read labels on products to determine when reapplications are necessary for optimal protection.
• Wearing socks and long, loose and light-colored shirts and pants.
• Treating clothing with permethrin or purchase pretreated permethrin clothing.
• Disposing of, regularly emptying, or turning over any water-holding containers on your property such as tires, cans, flower pots, children’s toys and trash cans.
• Using larvicides, such as mosquito torpedoes or mosquito dunks, to prevent breeding in large water-holding containers, including bird baths and garden water features. If used properly, larvicides will not harm animals. More tips can be found at www.knoxcounty.org/health/mosquitoes.

Fairmont Boulevard spray area: Mineral Springs Avenue from Walker Boulevard to Whittle Springs Road; Walker Boulevard from Mineral Springs Avenue to Powers Street; Montclair Avenue; Underwood Place; White Oak Lane; Valley View Drive from Whittle Springs Road to White Oak Lane; McCampbell Avenue; Upland Avenue; Tecoma Drive; Arbor Place; Maxwell Street; Emoriland Boulevard east of Kuhlman Street; Fairmont Boulevard from Kuhlman Street to Maxwell Street; Avondale from Whittle Springs to Maxwell Street; Boright Place; Boright Drive from Whittle Springs Road to Maxwell Street; McNutt Street; Brunswick Street; Whitney Place; Forestdale Avenue from Whittle Springs Road to Maxwell Street; Edgewood Avenue from Barton Street to Maxwell Street; Barton Street from Edgewood to Fairmont; Albert Avenue from Barton Street to Fairview Street; Nickerson Avenue from Barton Street to Bellevue Street; Fairview Street from Nickerson Avenue to Edgewood Avenue; Clearview Street; Orlando Street; Bellevue Street; Derieux Drive; Seymour Avenue; Sandra Avenue; Shaw Drive; Fontana Street; Fairwood Avenue; Powers Street; and Miami Street will be treated Thursday , Sept. 20, weather permitting, between 8:30 p.m. and 2 a.m. A map is attached. Follow-up spraying is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 4, weather permitting.

West Emory Road area: Overton Lane, Veston Drive, Morton View Lane, Belinda Road, Betenia Road, Beaver Creek Drive form Central Avenue Pike to Brickyard Road, Brickyard Road from Beaver Creek Drive to Levy Drive, Levy Drive, Wells Drive, Spring Street, Ewing Road to Driftwood Drive, Granville Connor Road, Collier Road to Helen Drive, Helen Drive, Shady Lane, Gill Lane, Gill Road, Madora Lane, Mayview Drive, Sevilla Road, Country Walk Drive and Country Run Circle will be treated Tuesday, Sept. 25 between 8:30 p.m. and 2 a.m. A map is attached. Follow-up spraying is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 9, weather permitting.

West Hills area: Winston Road north of Interstate 40 to Corteland Drive; Corteland Drive between Bennington Drive and Chesterfield Drive; Chesterfield Drive between Bennington Drive and Corteland Drive; Bennington Drive east of Corteland Drive; Churchill Road; Sheffield Drive west of Kennon Road; Vanosdale Road; Shadycrest Drive; Westridge Drive; Kennon Park Lane; Portsmouth Road; Sutton Lane; Somerset Road; Manderly Way; West Hills Road between Stockton Drive and Sheffield Drive; and the areas around West Hills Elementary School and the Westside YMCA will be treated Tuesday, Sept. 25 between 8:30 p.m. and 2 a.m. A map is attached. Follow-up spraying is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 9, weather permitting.

A complete schedule of mosquito sprayings is available at knoxcounty.org/health.

To reduce the risk of mosquito-borne disease, KCHD conducts a West Nile virus control program during 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 by visiting www.knoxcounty.org/health.