COLUMBUS – The Ohio Department of Health says two people recently diagnosed with West Nile virus are the first reported cases in the state this year.
The agency issued a statement Wednesday that says a 34-year-old man in Cuyahoga County was diagnosed with the virus after contracting a fever, and a 77-year-old Hamilton County man was diagnosed after it was discovered he had encephalitis, a swelling of the brain.
To control the spread of West Nile virus, Franklin County Public Health will be spraying on the east side of Reynoldsburg, in Obetz, on Whitehall’s side and in the southern portion of Prairie Township Thursday beginning at 8:30 p.m.
The virus is primarily transmitted by infected mosquitoes. Most people who become infected do not exhibit any symptoms but about one in five infected patients develop a fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash, said the department’s medical director, Dr. Mary DiOrio. Less than one percent of infected people develop a serious illness, such as encephalitis or meningitis
“Ohio’s wet summer has caused standing water in many areas of Ohio, and mosquitoes breed and multiply in such water,” said DiOrio.
Ohio had 11 reported cases of West Nile virus last year.
The health department advises people to use mosquito repellant and to wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, socks and shoes while outdoors from dusk to dawn. People should also eliminate standing water and empty bird baths and containers where mosquitoes might breed.