CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus have been found in two locations in Ross County, health officials said Wednesday.
The Ross County Health District confirmed positive test results from mosquito pools collected in Green Township and Union Township, according to Kelly Spindler, the district’s director of environmental health. No human cases of the virus have been reported in the county so far this year.
The finding follows a mosquito sample in Ross County that tested positive for La Crosse virus in late July, another mosquito-borne illness the health district has been tracking this summer.
West Nile virus is most commonly spread by the northern house mosquito, a species that is most active from dusk to dawn, according to the health district. About one in five people infected with the virus develop symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, joint pain, nausea or a rash. People over age 60 and those with chronic health conditions face a higher risk of severe illness.
Health officials are urging residents to take precautions, including wearing long pants and sleeves during peak mosquito activity, dumping standing water around homes weekly, using EPA-approved repellents such as Picaridin, DEET, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535, and treating clothing with permethrin.
The health district said it is evaluating additional surveillance, public education efforts, larviciding and adult mosquito spraying in response to the positive results. Mosquito larvicide tablets are available at the health district on a first-come, first-served basis, the district said.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Ross County Health District.
