The Cuyahoga County Board of Health (CCBH) said mosquito traps have turned up positive for West Nile Virus in several places throughout the county, which officials say is normal for this time of year.
The CCBH said it sets about 25 adult mosquito traps throughout the county in residential backyards every week. The mosquitos are sent weekly to the Ohio Department of Health in Columbus for testing, the board of health said.
The CCBH said ten West Nile Virus positive traps have been identified in the county — Broadview Heights, South Euclid, Garfield Heights, Highland Hills, Warrensville Heights, Lyndhurst, Strongsville, Berea, Fairview Park and Rocky River. It also said one-third of the county's traps are currently coming up positive for the virus on a weekly basis, but the CCBH said that is normal for this time of year. This trend is expected to continue for the next few months, officials said.
In June, the county set out 50 traps, and they all came back negative, the CCBH said.
The county said it expects to see some human cases of West Nile Virus, which it said happens every year. So far, there have been two cases of human West Nile Virus reported in the state. The first case was confirmed in Lake County.
According to the Lake County General Health District (LCGHD), most people who become infected with West Nile Virus do not have symptoms, but a small percentage of people will develop mild symptoms such as:
- Fever
- Headache
- Body aches
- Joint pain
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Rash
More serious symptoms include encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord), LCGHD said.
The CCBH said 32 of the 61 counties in Ohio are currently reporting some West Nile Virus activity.
