Screen repair program aims at protecting at-risk residents from West Nile Virus

Qualified residents of Dougherty County can have their window screens repaired free through a Southwest District Public Health program that combats infections from West Nile Virus.

“Preventing mosquito bites will prevent West Nile Virus infection,” explained Jacqueline Jenkins, Southwest Public Health District epidemiologist and chair of a West Nile Virus work group that includes city and county representatives and community volunteers as well as public health workers. “Screening your home to prevent mosquito entry can reduce or prevent mosquito bites. If you live in Dougherty County and cannot repair torn or broken window screens, we may be able to help.”

To be eligible for the window screen repair program, residents must belong to a high-risk group: be 50 or older and/or have a compromised immune system, she said. Candidates interested in applying for the program should call Jenkins at 430-1858 or Dougherty County Environmental Health at 438-3943.

“The entire cost of window screen repair will be paid if you own your own home,” Jenkins said. “We will pay up to 50 percent of the cost of the repair if a landlord owns the residence.”

Assessments of the residence will also be performed prior to repairs, and screens that have been painted shut or which are on windows that are generally shut will not be repaired, she added. Screen doors are not included in the program.

Jenkins said HCA Palmyra Medical Centers donated $5,000 being used in the program.

More than 30 West Nile human cases have been reported in Georgia so far this year, including three in the 14-county Southwest Public Health District. One of the cases was in Dougherty County.

“While most people who are infected do not have any symptoms, a few develop serious illnesses that can lead to death,” Jenkins said. The disease claimed the life of a Jonesboro resident earlier this year. Last year, the only fatality attributed to West Nile Virus in the state was in Dougherty County.

“We know mosquitoes carrying the disease are here, and we urge residents to take proactive measures,” said Southwest Georgia District Health Director Dr. Jacqueline Grant. “This is the peak season for West Nile virus. We recommend limiting time spent outside during dawn and dusk, when the mosquitoes are most active. If you must be outdoors, we suggest wearing long sleeved shirts and long pants and using insect repellent.”

Warm spells during the area’s mild winters means mosquito activity can flare up even after the season ends, warned Donell Mathis, environmental control manager for Dougherty County Public Works. 

“Mosquitoes breed in standing water,” he said. “We suggest draining it no matter the season.”