Mosquitoes and ticks are nuisance insects. But according to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), they are not remarkably active this year. There is one mosquito, however, that seems to be a particular nuisance: the Asian tiger mosquito.
The Asian tiger carries a disease that makes even a simple hand gesture extremely painful. The disease is known as Chikungunya. It has been reported once in six counties: Cuyahoga, Erie, Franklin, Huron, Meigs and Warren. The age range of each infected person is from 26-51.
The six cases in Ohio were all people who likely contracted the disease while in the Caribbean and traveled back to Ohio.
According to Public Information Officer of ODH Melanie Amato, the illness has no danger of spreading because the Asian Tiger mosquito cannot survive in Ohio’s cooler climate. However, the disease spreads from person to mosquito, meaning that a mosquito needs only to bite an infected person and bite another human to spread the disease. And this particular mosquito is a day-time biter.
“I wouldn’t say there is no danger, but rather that there has not yet been evidence of local transmission in the U.S.,” said Amato. “We are still concerned about the potential for the Asian tiger mosquito to transmit the disease locally if it bites an infected person,” she added.
Chikungunya has been around since it was discovered in Africa in the 1950s. The name derives from the Kimakonde language and literally translates “to become contorted.” The symptoms of the disease include fever, muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and a rash. Clinically similar to dengue fever, Chikungunya is often misdiagnosed in areas that dengue is common.
Though mosquitoes are not overly active in Ohio this season, prevention is still key to avoiding particular diseases like Chikungunya, West Nile Virus, Lacrosse encephalitis and dengue fever. The Richland Public Health Department’s Environmental Health Director Matt Work said that prevention education is important.
“Prevention really is the biggest thing when it comes to mosquito borne diseases. Home owners need to watch for water that stands for 7 days- water in tires, clogged gutters or flower pots,” said Work.
He also advised individuals to wear long sleeve shirts, long pants and socks when hiking, camping or working outside. He recommended wearing repellant with at least 30 percent DEET for an adult, and 10 percent or less for children.
He said there is a greater concern for infection of West Nile Virus (WNV) and Lacrosse encephalitis, however. “West Nile Virus has been a big concern since the epidemic in 2002,” he said.
According to ODH, the latest mosquito test results from October 2013 show 229 positive WNV carrying mosquitoes out of 177,445 tested. There have been 59 fatalities in Ohio from WNV since 2002.
However, most infected individuals of WNV never suffer from drastic symptoms. According to Richland Public Health, 80 percent of individuals who contract WNV will not show any symptoms at all.
“A lot of us might have had it and just never known it,” said Work.
The primary concern, however, is Lacrosse encephalitis, because it affects mostly youth from ages 0-19. There have been 13 cases of this disease in Richland County since 2004. Lacrosse encephalitis is caught by the bite of an infected mosquito. In rare cases, the symptoms include inflammation of the brain, seizures, coma, and paralysis.
In addition to mosquitoes, there are three ticks to look out for in Ohio, according to Work: the American dog tick, the lone star tick (rare in Richland County), and the black-legged or deer tick. The most common tick in Ohio is the American dog tick, and they do not carry Lyme disease. They do, however, carry Rocky Mountain encephalitis, but cases are rare in Richland County, according to Work. Below is a graph that shows the frequency of WNV, Lacrosse encephalitis and Lyme disease over a period of ten years in Richland County.
Information gathered from Richland Public Health.
Lyme disease is carried primarily by the black-legged tick. They are small in comparison to the American dog tick, and not easily detected on the skin. And although they do exist in Ohio, they are more likely to be found in the Eastern part of the state.
Click here for an identification guide produced by ODH.
Work advised individuals to check for ticks after being outside, especially after walking through tall grass. He also recommended checking their pets for ticks before letting them inside the home.
For more information on mosquitoes and ticks that are found in Richland County, visit Richland Public Health’s website. To schedule a mosquito spraying for your property or business, call 419-774-4520.
“Prevention really is the biggest thing when it comes to mosquito borne diseases. Home owners need to watch for water that stands for 7 days- water in tires, clogged gutters or flower pots,” said Matt Work.