The latest lab report has confirmed the presence of West Nile Virus (WNV) in mosquitoes in two areas of West Knoxville. Following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocol, the Knox County Health Department (KCHD) will spray for mosquitoes in the West Hills and Parkside Drive areas on Thursday, September 3, between 9 p.m. and midnight, weather permitting, to reduce the mosquito population and the risk of WNV spreading to humans. Signs will be posted in the affected areas to alert residents, who are asked to stay inside during spraying and keep pets inside or in the backyard. The areas are detailed below.  

West Hills Spray 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 Thursday. Follow-up spraying for this area is scheduled for Thursday, September 17, weather permitting. 

West Kingston Pike Spray Area: 
Parkside Drive between Mabry Hood Road and North Seven Oaks Drive; Mabry Hood Road; Perimeter Park Road; Sherway Road; Sherlake Lane; Hayfield Road; North Seven Oaks Drive; South Seven Oaks Drive; Suffolk Drive; Essex Drive; Norfolk Drive; Seven Oaks Trail; Crowfield Road; Tunbridge Lane; Trossachs Lane; Triplett Lane; Franklin Boulevard; Franklin Hill Boulevard; Capital Drive; Fox Road from Kingston Pike to Donovan Lane; and Donovan Lane will be treated Thursday. Follow-up spraying for this area is scheduled for Thursday, September 17, weather permitting. 

As previously announced, the Gulf Park/Venice Road and Fourth Avenue areas are scheduled for follow-up spraying on Tuesday, September 1, between 9 p.m. and midnight, weather permitting. 

KCHD continues to advise all residents to:

• Wear appropriate clothing and repellant when outside and mosquitoes are present;
• Dispose of, regularly empty or turn over any containers holding water on your property;
• Make sure roof gutters drain properly and water doesn’t pool in them;
• Change the water in birdbaths at least once a week; and
• Use a mosquito repellant that contains DEET (the chemical N-N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) and follow the directions on the label. Pregnant women and those who are concerned about using repellent products on children should consult their health care provider for advice.

To address the public health concerns caused by mosquitoes, KCHD conducts a West Nile Virus control program during the 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. More information on the WNV control program and prevention tips are available by calling 865-215-5200 or visiting www.knoxcounty.org/health and clicking on the Environmental Health section.