NEWS RELEASE CONTACT: NANCY NIEHUS, (440) 350-2543
July 6, 2011 LAKE COUNTY GENERAL HEALTH DISTRICT
LAKE COUNTY WEST NILE VIRUS NEWS:
FIRST POSITIVE WNV MOSQUITOES OF THE 2011 SEASON
The Lake County General Health District (LCGHD) announces that the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has confirmed one positive mosquito pool for West Nile Virus (WNV) in Lake County. A “pool” is a collection of no more than 50 mosquitoes. Although this particular positive pool was collected near the Perry/Painesville Township border on June 9, it is likely that positive WNV mosquitoes are present throughout the county. This is confirmation that the WNV threat is present and will likely increase for the remainder of the summer. This is the earliest confirmed WNV report in Lake County history.
Positive WNV mosquitoes have also been reported in Franklin and Licking counties this season. In 2010, Ohio had 260 West Nile Virus positive mosquito pools from 8,843 total pools tested (totaling 316,623 mosquitoes). Of the 25 horse samples tested for West Nile Virus in 2010 by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, one was positive. Five human West Nile Virus cases were reported in Ohio during 2010. There were no human WNV cases in Lake County in 2010.
In response to these confirmed positives, LCGHD, in cooperation with the ODH, will continue surveillance and will continue to find, eliminate, and treat mosquito-breeding sites. Please remember that WNV is endemic (common) in Lake County and Ohio since 2001 and will continue to be a long-term, public health threat. Do your part to control breeding sites. Here are some tips for homeowners to reduce the risk of WNV.
• Dispose of tin cans, old tires, buckets, unused plastic swimming pools, plastic covers or other containers that collect and hold water.
• Keep roof gutters unclogged. Clean gutters in the spring and fall.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas, and hot tubs. Keep them covered when empty.
• Empty and change the water in bird baths, fountains, wading pools, rain barrels, and potted trays at least once a week, if not more often.
• Fill or drain puddles, ditches, and swampy areas and either remove, drain, or fill tree holes and stumps with mortar.
• Contact LCGHD with concerns about malfunctioning septic systems.
• Eliminate standing water around animal watering troughs.
• Irrigate lawns and gardens carefully to prevent water from standing for several days.
• Avoid being outside from dusk until dawn. If you cannot avoid those times, use a repellent.
• Use an insect repellent containing 10% or less DEET (N, N-diethyl-methyl-meta-tolumide) for children and no more than 30% DEET for adults. Use repellents containing DEET according to label instructions.
-Do not use DEET insect repellent on infants or pregnant women.
-Do not allow young children to apply DEET insect repellent themselves. Store out of their
reach.
-Apply DEET insect repellent to your hands and then to a child. Do not apply DEET insect
repellent directly to a child.
-DEET insect repellent is effective for about four hours. Use small amounts over exposed skin
and clothing. Do not use DEET insect repellent for a long period of time.
-Wash treated skin and clothing after returning indoors.
• Wear long sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks if you go outside when mosquitoes are most active (from dusk until dawn).
• Make sure window and door screens are “bug tight”. Repair or replace torn screens.
• Replace outdoor lights with yellow “bug lights”.
• Call the LCGHD if you have a concern about standing water that may be breeding mosquitoes. If it is on private property, permission is needed to enter the property.
Birds act as a host of WNV, and then mosquitoes become infected by feeding on them. Due to Ohio Department of Health budget cuts, dead birds are no longer being collected and tested for WNV. Residents may report dead bird locations by calling LCGHD at (440) 350-2543, which will be mapped to document potential virus activity.
If any resident has questions concerning mosquito control or WNV, please call the LCGHD WNV informational line at (440) 350-2543. Additional WNV and mosquito information can be found at:
Ohio Dept. of Health http://www.odh.ohio.gov/odhPrograms/dis/zoonoses/wnv/wnv1.aspx
CDC http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm
LCGHD http://www.lcghd.org/
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