Correction: The Ohio Department of Health has not found West Nile virus in Ottawa and Seneca counties. Ottawa and Seneca counties have turned in mosquitoes to be tested by the Ohio Department of Health but as of Monday, July 8, results are pending according to an ODH report.
Officials from the Sandusky County Health Department will collect mosquitos at 14 locations over the next two weeks after a blue jay that died last month was found to have West Nile virus.
The health department was notified by the Ohio Department of Health’s Zoonotic Disease Program that a dead bird found in the Village of Gibsonburg tested positive for West Nile virus.
SCPH received a report that three dead birds were found on a residential property in Gibsonburg. Since this is an unusual incident, one of the dead birds was collected and sent to the Ohio Department of Health laboratory for testing. It came back positive for West Nile virus.
The state recommended that county health officials collect mosquito samples in the Gibsonburg area where the dead birds were found. Eight traps will be rotated through 14 locations.
"They wanted to test this bird, because there were two dead ones," Johannsen said. Blue jays are more susceptible to West Nile virus.
"We have a mosquito control grant and we have the traps," Johannsen said Wednesday. The department received the grant through the Ohio Environgmental Protection Agency. Mosquitoes collected from these traps are then sent to the ODH lab for testing. The first round of testing will be conducted this week. The county department hopes to have results back a week later.
No human cases of West Nile found in Sandusky County since at least 2016
Health department epidemiologist Ally Smith said Sandusky County has not had a human case of West Nile virus in at least five years.
"The last reported human case of West Nile virus in Sandusky County was in 2016. This case was classified as a probable case," Smith noted.
West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States. It is most commonly spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. Symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash, and are seen in about 20% of cases. In severe cases, the virus can cause severe illness, including meningitis, encephalitis or death. Those older than 60 or with a weakened immune system are at higher risk. There have not been any human cases of WNV reported in Ohio this year, according to a report.
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Limit outdoor exposure to mosquitoes to be safe
The best way to prevent infection is to avoid mosquito bites. SCPH encourages residents to take an active part in helping reduce mosquitos by following these steps:
● Limit outdoor activities during peak mosquito activity (early morning and late evening).
● Use insect repellent registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on exposed skin.
● Remove or replace all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires and any other containers each week.
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● Repair window and door screens.
In addition to mosquito trapping and testing, the MCG program provides funding to support community outreach activities and prevention efforts including providing insect repellant, window screen repair kits, and mosquito larvae dunk tablets to Sandusky County residents. To receive any of these free items, stop by SCPH Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Questions should be directed to Johannsen at njohannsen@scpublichealth.com or 419-334-6372.
rbrooks@gannett.com
419-334-1059
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Health department reports West Nile virus found in Gibsonburg area
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