As of Monday, the two confirmed cases in Clark County brings the total number of human cases in Ohio to 18, the health district said in a media release Wednesday.
“In the previous five years, only one positive human case of West Nile virus had been recorded in Clark County,” officials said in the release.
| Ohio West Nile Virus disease cases | ||
|---|---|---|
| There was a surge of human cases in 2012. | ||
| Year | Human cases | Deaths |
| 2007 | 23 | 3 |
| 2008 | 15 | 1 |
| 2009 | 2 | 0 |
| 2010 | 5 | 0 |
| 2011 | 21 | 1 |
| 2012 | 122 | 7 |
| 2013 | 24 | 4 |
| 2014 | 11 | 1 |
| 2015 | 35 | 2 |
| 2016 | 17 | 4 |
| 2017 | 34 | 5 |
| 2018 | 18 | 2 |
| Source: Ohio Department of Public Health |
RELATED: Additional mosquito samples test positive for West Nile in Clark County
According to the health district, the virus is most commonly spread by mosquitoes.
“Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to humans and other animals they bite,” health district officials said in the release.
Throughout the summer, multiple mosquito samples in Clark County have tested positive for West Nile Virus, according to previous reports from the Clark County Combined Health District.
Health officials said about 80 percent of people infected with the virus will not show any symptoms at all. Most who will show symptoms show them between three and 14 days of being bitten by a mosquito.
RELATED: Ohio West Nile Virus activity highest since 2012
Some symptoms of the virus include: fever, headache, body aches, disorientation, nausea and vomiting, among others, according to the health district.
Heath officials will conduct inspections and treat affected ares with Duet to reduce the adult mosquito population, in response the the two human cases.
We’ll update this page with more details as they become available.
About the Author