Aug. 31--As cooler evenings invite us to linger on porches and patios, it would be wise to remember we're sharing the space with problematic guests.
Mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus are more than twice as plentiful in Franklin County as last year, said Charlie Broschart, Franklin County Public Health's supervisor for community environmental health.
The Ohio Department of Health yesterday confirmed two human cases of West Nile virus.
State officials said that a woman, 19, woman was hospitalized with meningitis in Cuyahoga County, and a boy, 14, was sickened in Putnam County but not hospitalized. Both are recovering.
No cases have been reported in central Ohio, but that doesn't mean that no one has been infected.
West Nile virus typically is harmless, so it doesn't come to the attention of doctors and health departments. Even those who do become ill might not go to a doctor or undergo testing for the virus.
About one in five people who are infected will become sick with symptoms including fever, headache, tiredness and body aches, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Occasionally, infected people will have a skin rash and swollen lymph glands. The illness can persist for several weeks.
At this time last year, Franklin County had tested 23 pools of mosquitoes that were positive for West Nile. This year, they've found 61, and they're testing fewer pools, Broschart said.
No one is sure what is driving the increase, said Dan Markowski, vice president of Vector Disease Control International, which provides mosquito-control services for the county.
Mosquito-borne diseases tend to be somewhat cyclical, he said, which could be one explanation. Weather also can contribute.
"We certainly have had a good summer for mosquitoes -- a good amount of rain, but not too much. If it gets too hot, the heat will kill the mosquitoes. If it's too cool, then that kind of slows the mosquitoes down as well," Markowski said.
The Ohio Department of Health also has confirmed eight cases of La Crosse encephalitis this year. The disease also is spread by mosquitoes and can be serious, especially in children.
To protect yourself against infection, avoid lingering outdoors during dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active. If you are outside, use an insect repellent and wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, shoes and socks. Light colors are least attractive to mosquitoes.
It's important that Ohioans remain aware of the threat of mosquito-borne disease until the first hard frost, said Ohio Department of Health spokeswoman Tessie Pollock.
"Until then, they're going to be out, and they're going to be hungry," she said.
mcrane@dispatch.com
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