The latest lab report has confirmed the presence of West Nile Virus (WNV) in mosquitoes in several areas of Knox County. Following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocol, the Knox County Health Department (KCHD) will spray the affected areas Thursday, Sept. 26 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 spray areas are listed below.

"West Nile Virus frequently becomes more prevalent as the season progresses," said Environmental Health Director Ronnie Nease. "While we're seeing fewer mosquitoes in the traps, the number with West Nile has increased. This is why it's so important for the public to continue to do their part to protect themselves and their families."

KCHD advises all residents to:
Wear appropriate clothing and repellant when outside and mosquitoes are present; Disposes 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.

"Weather cooler than 55 degrees can interfere with spraying, so we have to watch the thermostat closely as we spray into the fall season," Nease said. "Fortunately, we're not anticipating temperatures that low Thursday night."

Milligan Street spray area:
North Cherry Street, north of Magnolia Avenue, west of North Beaman Street and south of I-40; Lakeside and Kirkwood Streets; and American Avenue will be treated Thursday night. Follow-up spraying will be conducted Thursday, Oct. 10, weather permitting.

Chapman Highway spray area:
Arthur Harmon Road, Crossfield Drive, Konda Drive, Karla Drive, Kimberlin Heights Road and Twin Leaf Lane will be treated Thursday night. Follow-up spraying will be conducted Thursday, Oct. 10, weather permitting.

Asheville Highway/Carter spray area:
Carter Mill Subdivision; Knox County's Carter Park; Strawberry Plains Pike from Asheville Highway to Carter School Road; Carter School Road from Strawberry Plains Pike to Asheville Highway; and Asheville Highway from Carter School Road to Strawberry Plains Pike will be treated Thursday. Follow-up spraying will be conducted Thursday, Oct. 10, weather permitting.

Choto/Heron's Point spray area:
Subdivisions treated Thursday night include Amber Woods, Bayview West, Choto Farms, Heron's Point, Livery, Mallard Bay, Tanglewood, Walnut Grove and the Woods at Montgomery Cove. Subdivisions NOT included are Bailey Park, Choto Fields, Greystone Court and Montgomery Cove. Follow-up spraying will be conducted Thursday, Oct. 10, weather permitting.

Cumberland Estates/Robindale Road spray area:
Cumberland Estates subdivision (all areas within Royalview Road, Robindale Road, Willowdale Drive, Silverhill Drive, Newberry Road, Landon Drive and Palmetto Boulevard); Short Road; High Drive; and Nickle Road from Western Avenue to High Drive will be treated Thursday. Follow-up spraying will be conducted Thursday, Oct. 10, weather permitting.

Gulf Park/Venice Road area scheduled for follow-up spraying:
Dutchtown Road from Christian Academy of Knoxville (CAK) to Blessed Way including Manis Lane and the area around CAK; Embarcadero Drive; Cortez Drive; Tallahassee Drive; Sanders Road from Dutchtown Road to Venice Road; Venice Road; Ethans Glen Drive; Tampa Road; Suwannee Road; Gulf Park Drive; Galveston Road; Naples Road; Sarasota Drive; Mobile Drive; Briarwood Drive; Laurel Hill Road; and the areas around Cedar Bluff Primary and Cedar Bluff Middle School will be sprayed Thursday night.

Fourth Avenue area scheduled for follow-up spraying:
Cooper Street north of West Fifth Avenue; West Fifth Avenue from Cooper Street to Boyd Street; West Fourth Avenue; Elm Street; Marion Street; Dameron Avenue; Hatton Avenue; Burgess Avenue; Baxter Avenue from Elm Street to Wray Street; Lee Street; and Bernard Avenue will be treated Thursday.

To address the public health concerns caused by West Nile Virus, KCHD conducts a mosquito control program during the summer 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 mosquito 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.