CIRCLEVILLE – Health Commissioner, Nasandra Wright said “Mosquito bites can be more than just itchy and irritating. They can spread viruses that make you sick or, in rare cases, cause death.” Although most kinds of mosquitoes are just nuisance mosquitoes, some kinds of mosquitoes spread viruses that can cause disease.
Pickaway County Public Health received a grant for mosquito control from the Ohio EPA. Utilizing the grant, a summer intern was hired to perform mosquito surveillance. His efforts have been focused on trapping/testing adult mosquitoes and eliminating both mosquito larva and the breeding habitat of mosquitoes. These measures will reduce the number of mosquitoes and therefore the number of cases of mosquito-borne illnesses.
Pickaway County Public Health mosquito control program uses an integrated mosquito management (IMM) approach to control mosquitoes. IMM uses a combination of methods to prevent and control mosquitoes that spread viruses, like West Nile.
The goal of the project is the prevention of diseases that are carried by the mosquitoes. Last year, we collected over 4200 mosquitoes, and had over 40 positives for West Nile virus. With the wet year we have had so far, we expect higher numbers of mosquitoes and therefore more positive mosquitoes. Residents can help by emptying any outside container that holds water for more than 7 to 10 days (including tires). We will be hosting a tire collection day in Darbyville June 22 from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM.
Information regarding large numbers of mosquitoes, or suggestions for trapping locations to assist our efforts will be accepted. Complaints about mosquito harborage (areas of standing water) can be directed to Pickaway County Public Health at 740-477-9667. For any additional information regarding mosquitoes, please visit www.pchd.org or checkout our Facebook page.
