COLUMBUS – Safety and health officials are planning the state’s response to an outbreak of the Zika virus ahead of the peak season for mosquitoes in Ohio, May to October.
The Ohio Department of Health is holding a Zika virus “tabletop” exercise Tuesday at the Ohio Emergency Management Agency on W Dublin Granville Road to make sure the state’s safety and health agencies and hospitals are ready.
Five cases of Zika virus have been confirmed in Ohio, all in patients who had traveled outside the state prior to their diagnosis.
Representatives from several state agencies and boards, local health departments and healthcare provider associations will talk about scenarios and planning for a possible outbreak of the virus, which has been linked to birth defects in South and Central American countries and in the Caribbean.
The virus is primarily transmitted through mosquito bites and there is no indication that it can spread from person to person through casual contact.
The primary mosquito that transmits Zika virus is found in the tropics and southern U.S., but health department officials say a “cousin” of the mosquito has been found in 37 Ohio counties and may potentially transmit the virus.