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Zika mosquitoes all over Georgia; control agencies aren't

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  • Zika mosquitoes all over Georgia; control agencies aren't

    RUSS BYNUM
    The Associated Press

    Zika mosquitoes all over Georgia; control agencies aren't

    12:57 p.m. Saturday, July 2, 2016 | Filed in: News

    SAVANNAH, Ga. ? Mosquitoes that can carry the Zika virus are found in all corners of Georgia ? from coastal marshes to northern mountains, in rural farm communities and crowded suburbs. Yet many of those places employ no one to fight them.
    ...
    An Associated Press survey of district offices of the Georgia Department of Public Health confirmed at least 56 counties statewide provide no mosquito control services. That's more than one-third of Georgia's 159 counties.
    ...
    Georgia is considered a high-risk state for Zika, and 25 cases have been confirmed here. In most people the virus causes only a mild illness at worst, but it's been linked to severe birth defects in babies born to women infected during pregnancy.
    ...
    Aedes aegypti, the mosquito species tied to Zika outbreaks in Latin America, isn't common in Georgia. But the Asian tiger mosquito, which also can carry the Zika virus, is found statewide. Both species breed near homes in water left standing in flower pots and dog bowls, even bottle caps.
    ...
    Meanwhile, Georgia state agencies have few resources to battle mosquitoes. The state Department of Public Health recently hired five "vector surveillance coordinators" to perform public outreach and monitor mosquito populations in multi-county regions considered at highest risk for Zika.
    ...
    "People need to be diligent," said Gray, the UGA entomologist. "The government's not going to save us on this one."

    "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
    -Nelson Mandela
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