Columbus health officials are sounding the alarm: West Nile virus rates in Ohio’s mosquitoes are the highest they’ve been in more than a decade.
According to the Ohio Department of Health, infection rates in mosquitoes haven’t hit numbers like this since 2012, and the latest mosquito trap maps from Columbus Public Health show red dots, indicating positive tests, scattered more widely than usual across the city.
Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts says the wet summer is a big reason why.
“We’ve had a rainy season with multiple days of rain, and so it’s an important reminder to everyone that they should do everything they can on their property to get rid of standing water,” she told NBC4.
Even a few tablespoons can become a breeding ground, and within a week, you’ve got a new generation of buzzing, biting neighbors.
This week, CPH set out another round of traps to test mosquito pools across the city.
So far, there’s only been one confirmed human case of West Nile in Columbus this year, plus another in northwest Ohio. While most people bitten by an infected mosquito won’t develop symptoms, the virus can be more serious for people over 50 and those with weakened immune systems.
The best way to lower your risk?
Keep mosquitoes from setting up shop in your yard: empty buckets, bird baths, clogged gutters, and kiddie pools regularly; keep screens in good repair; and wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothes when outside, and use bug spray.
This isn’t a “panic and lock yourself inside” kind of situation. We all just need to be a little more diligent, especially at dusk and dawn, to keep ourselves safe!
You can view all of the data regarding the West Nile Virus updates here in Franklin County at mosquito.myfcph.org.
Featured image by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on Unsplash.
