RAVENNA, Ohio — The Portage County Health District has confirmed 88 mosquito pools that tested positive for West Nile virus as of Aug. 21, according to a media statement released Wednesday.
Health officials have identified specific locations where the virus has been detected, including Streetsboro City Park, Bolender Road in Suffield, and Fairview Cemetery in Hiram. The Kent City Health Department has also identified West Nile Virus in mosquito pools within Kent city limits.
The county has reported at least one confirmed human case of West Nile virus, which the Portage County Health District is actively investigating.
STATEWIDE IMPACT
West Nile Virus-positive mosquito pools have been detected in 42 counties across Ohio. Statewide, there are seven confirmed human cases of West Nile Virus disease, along with seven confirmed human cases of the similar La Crosse virus.
PREVENTION EFFORTS
The Portage County Health District is focusing on a comprehensive mosquito surveillance and prevention program that includes:
- Trapping and surveillance to monitor mosquito populations, especially species known to transmit diseases.
- Public education on reducing mosquito activity and avoiding bites.
- Distributing Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) dunks, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved larvicide, to residents for treating standing water on their property.
EXPERT INSIGNTS
Dr. Amy Edwards, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at uh Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, explains that mosquito pool testing serves as an early warning system…