West Nile Virus In Ohio: Lake County Man Hospitalized

LAKE COUNTY, OH — A 71-year-old Lake County man was hospitalized and tested positive for West Nile Virus, state health officials said recently. Last year, five people were killed by the mosquito-communicated virus. This year, mosquito activity is at a five-year high.

“West Nile virus activity in mosquitoes is the highest Ohio has seen this early in the season since 2012 when we reported 122 human cases for the year,” said Sietske de Fijter, state epidemiologist and chief of the ODH Bureau of Infectious Diseases. “We are encouraging Ohioans to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites, including by eliminating potential breeding sites around their homes, in order to prevent mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile virus.”

By late July 2018, 20 Ohio counties had reported West Nile virus activity in mosquitoes. The disease is most often transmitted between May and October, the Ohio Department of Health said in a press release. That means this is the most dangerous time of the year, in terms of WNV activity.

West Nile Virus is most often transferred through a mosquito bite. Luckily, the majority of people bitten by a mosquito with the disease will have no symptoms. About one in five people will get flu-like symptoms; headaches, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or possibly rashes. Less than 1 percent of people will develop a serious neurologic illness, like encephalitis or meningitis. There are no medications to treat or prevent West Nile, the Ohio Department of Health said.

There are ways to prevent mosquito bites or infestations near a home. The Ohio Department of Health offers the following tips to protect residents:

• Use an EPA-registered insect repellent
• Cover as much skin as you can with clothes. Wear long sleeves, long pants and long socks when outdoors.
• Spray thin clothes with insect repellent
• Treat clothing or gear with a product containing permethrin. Don't apply permethrin directly to your skin.
• Install window screens to keep mosquitoes out of your home
• Empty standing water on a regular basis. That means draining flowerpots, gutters, buckets, pool covers, etc.

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