Politics & Government

Mosquitoes With West Nile Virus Found Recently in Lake County

The first Lake County mosquito this season with West Nile Virus was found

Ohio Department of Health has confirmed one positive mosquito pool for West Nile Virus in Lake County, according to the Lake County General Health District.

Although this particular positive pool was collected June 9 near the border of Perry and Painesville Township, it is likely that mosquitoes with West Nile Virus are present throughout the county, the health district said in a statement.

This is confirmation that the West Nile Virus is present and will likely increase for the remainder of the summer, Lake County General Health District said. This is the earliest confirmed West Nile Virus report in Lake County history.

Find out what's happening in Mentorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In 2010, Ohio had 260 West Nile Virus-positive mosquito pools from 8,843 total pools tested, totaling 316,623 mosquitoes. A "pool" is a collection of 50 or fewer mosquitoes.

Five human West Nile Virus cases were reported in Ohio during 2010, none of which were from Lake County.

Find out what's happening in Mentorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In response to these confirmed positives, LCGHD and ODH will continue to find, eliminate and treat mosquito breeding sites.

The district added that West Nile Virus is endemic, meaning "common," in Lake County and Ohio since 2001 and will continue to be a long-term public health threat.

Here are ways to reduce the risk of West Nile Virus from LCGHD:

  • 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 percent or fewer DEET (N, N-diethyl-methyl-meta-tolumide) for children and no more than 30 percent DEET for adults. Use repellents containing DEET according to label instructions.
  • Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks if you go outside when mosquitoes are most active, which is 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 West Nile Virus, and then mosquitoes become infected by feeding on them. But due to ODH budget cuts, dead birds are no longer being collected and tested for the virus.

Residents may report dead bird locations by calling LCGHD at 440-350-2543. These reports will be mapped to document potential virus activity.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Mentor