Several mosquito pools in Union County have tested positive for West Nile Virus.
Union County Health Department Environmental Health Director Marcia Dreiseidel said during Wednesday’s Board of Health meeting “a couple pools came back positive” following testing at the Ohio Department of Health lab.
She noted that samples from around the county are regularly collected as part of the health department’s routine disease surveillance program. Samples are submitted to the state lab weekly throughout peak mosquito season.
The samples that tested positive were collected between Sept. 1-8 and were from Broadway, Marysville, Milford Center, Raymond and Plain City.
According to UCHD, West Nile Virus is carried by mosquitoes and was first found in Ohio in 2001.
Most people who contract West Nile Virus experience no symptoms or have mild illness. About one in 150 people infected can develop serious illness.
Other diseases carried by mosquitoes in Ohio include La Crosse Virus and two types of encephalitis viruses.
The Union County Health Department said there are a number of proactive steps residents can take to protect their families from West Nile Virus and other diseases carried by mosquitoes.
They include: preventing mosquito bites; using bug spray registered by the EPA; avoiding peak biting hours (dusk to dawn); wearing long sleeves, pants and socks to cover skin; keeping mosquitoes away from one’s home; emptying standing water from flower pots, buckets, tarps/covers and wheelbarrows on a regular basis; throwing away trash that has accumulated on one’s property; disposing of old tires and drilling holes in tire swings so water drains out; changing the water in pet dishes frequently; replacing the water in bird baths weekly; checking and cleaning clogged roof gutters at least twice annually; aerating ornamental pools or stocking them with mosquito-eating fish; emptying kiddie pools and putting them on their side when not in use; using products that limit mosquito larvae rain barrels or containers; and installing or repairing screens on windows and doors.
UCHD is hosting two free tire collection events made possible by a mosquito control grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
The first collection will be from 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, Sept. 25 at the Union County Fairgrounds. A second collection event will be held from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 16 at the Richwood Fairgrounds.
The events are open only to county residents.
Only passenger tires such as car, SUV, truck and van tires will be accepted and they must be off their rims. There is limited space and tires will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis.
In an earlier statement, Dreiseidel said tires are a known breeding ground for mosquitoes.
The collections help reduce the mosquito population locally.