The Cincinnati Health Department (CHD) is encouraging area residents to protect themselves from mosquitos after the department detected a case of West Nile virus during a routine test.
In a statement issued on July 10, the CHD said the case of West Nile was detected through its “ongoing surveillance for mosquito-borne diseases.”
“Whenever we find West Nile virus in our local mosquito population, we worry about transmission to humans. That is what we want to prevent,” said Grant Mussman, M.D., MHSA, Cincinnati Health Department Commissioner. “We want to encourage Cincinnati area residents to take some simple precautionary measures to protect themselves, their families, and their neighbors.”
West Nile virus can cause serious neurologic illness in a very small percentage of patients, about less than 1%, according to the CHD. Most people, about 70%-80%, who become infected show no symptoms, and there’s no vaccine for the virus. The incubation period can range from two to 14 days, with about one in five patients experiencing a fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rash. Most people with this type of West Nile virus disease recover completely, but the disease can be deadly for a very small fraction of patients who develop a neurologic infection.
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The release did not include specifics on where or when the mosquito with West Nile was found, but the department included tips for preventing breeding sites for mosquitos, including:
- Remove any possible stagnant water areas outside your home where mosquitoes could lay eggs, like saucers under flower pots, children’s toys, wheelbarrows, kiddie pools, wading pools, boats, tires, puddles, etc.
- Replace water in bird baths and outdoor pet dishes at least every week to help eliminate stagnant water.
- Keep swimming pools circulating, clean and chlorinated, and remove any water that collects on the swimming pool cover.
- Keep gutters clean to prevent standing water.
CHD also recommends limiting outdoor exposure during mosquito season, which is May through September, especially during dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active. In addition to wearing an EPA-approved bug repellant, the department recommends wearing light-colored, loose-fitting pants and long-sleeved shirts, as well as shoes and socks when outdoors for long periods of time.
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and researchers at Ohio State University have said 2023 is also a bad year for ticks and the diseases they carry. OSU researchers recommend homeowners keep their lawns mowed and free of brush or leaf litter to make lawns a less attractive habitat for ticks.
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This article appears in Jun 28 – Jul 11, 2023.