Second West Nile sample detected in the region in Warren County

A second mosquito sample in the Cincinnati region has tested positive for the West Nile virus.

The sample was collected at the Miller Ecological Park in Lebanon on July 18, the Warren County Health District announced Monday. Earlier this month, the Cincinnati Health Department announced the collection of a mosquito sample that tested positive for West Nile, which was the first in the region of 2023.

The sample collections by health agencies are routine.

West Nile detected in Cincinnati:What you need to know

What is West Nile virus?

According to the Ohio Department of Health, the West Nile Virus is an arbovirus (infections caused by a bite) spread by bites from infected mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds and then can spread the virus to humans or other animals through a bite. Most people in Ohio are infected by what’s called the northern house mosquito (Culex Pipiens), a common house mosquito in urban, suburban and rural habitats, according to Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Studies.

The virus was first detected in the United States in New York City in 1999 and spread quickly across the country within a few years, according to ODH. By 2002, it had spread through 87 of Ohio’s 88 counties. There were an estimated 225 deaths attributed to the West Nile virus in the United States in 2021.

West Nile can cause potentially serious illnesses and is present in many Ohio counties, the health district said.

How to prevent mosquito bites and prevent breeding sites

The Warren County Health District recommends a number of precautions to protect yourself against mosquito bites, particularly as youth sports continue. In addition to wearing long sleeve shirts and applying mosquito repellant to skin, here are some precautions individuals can take:

• Make sure that doors and windows have tight-fitting screens.
• Repair or replace all torn screens in your home.
• Remove all discarded tires from your property.
• Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or similar water-holding containers.
• Make sure roof gutters drain properly. Clean clogged gutters in the spring and fall.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas and hot tubs. Keep empty and covered when not in use.
• Drain water from pool covers.
• Change the water in bird baths at least once a week.
• Turn over plastic wading pools, and wheelbarrows, etc. when not in use.
• Clean ditches of obstructions so they drain properly.
• Eliminate any standing water that collects on your property.
• Check trees for cavities that hold water and fill them with soil, gravel or sand.
• Remind or help neighbors to eliminate breeding sites on their properties.
• Use insect repellant containing DEET at a concentration of at least 30% and follow the label directions.