COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Zoonotic Disease Program, in collaboration with local partners and the ODH Laboratory, continues its comprehensive surveillance of vectorborne diseases across the state, focusing on both human and veterinary cases.
Throughout the summer and into the fall, the department monitors diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks, releasing weekly updates on positive results and summary statistics. Updates are available every Friday at noon on the department’s website.
As of July 5, 2024, the surveillance efforts have yielded significant findings:
Mosquito-borne Diseases:
- West Nile Virus:
- Mosquito surveillance involved testing 121,672 mosquitoes pooled into 3,570 samples from 55 agencies across 45 counties.
- West Nile virus was detected in 28 mosquitoes from nine counties: Clermont (1), Franklin (6), Geauga (1), Hamilton (2), Hancock (2), Lorain (3), Richland (1), Stark (7), and Summit (5).
- There have been no reported human or equine cases of West Nile virus.
- Travel-associated Diseases:
- Chikungunya: Two human cases were reported, involving travelers to Ecuador and India.
- Dengue: Thirteen human cases were reported, with travelers returning from Barbados, Brazil, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Puerto Rico, and St. Barthelemy.
- Zika: No human cases reported.
- Malaria: Forty-five human cases were reported, with travelers visiting multiple countries in Africa and South America.
Tickborne Diseases:
- Lyme Disease: Ohio reported 226 human cases with incidences from 48 counties.
- Anaplasmosis: Two human cases were reported from Coshocton and Cuyahoga counties.
- Babesiosis: One human case reported from Summit County.
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF): Five human cases were reported from Athens and Jackson counties.
- Ehrlichiosis: Three human cases were reported from Gallia, Jackson, and Warren counties.
Health officials advise Ohio residents traveling to areas with ongoing transmission of vectorborne diseases to take precautions against mosquito and tick bites. More information is available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Travelers’ Health and Pan-American Health Organization websites.
