Here is the latest update from the Zoonotic Disease Program at the Ohio Department of Health, as of August 17, 2023:
Vector-borne disease information will continue to be updated on ODH’s website and more details can be found at: https://odh.ohio.gov/vectorupdate.
2023 MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES
West Nile Virus
Mosquito surveillance
- 326,517 Culex spp. from 56 agencies in 52 counties pooled into 8,835* samples.
- 550 West Nile virus positive mosquito samples from 31 counties – Carroll (3), Clark (35), Clermont (7), Columbiana (1), Cuyahoga (6), Delaware (13), Fairfield (3), Franklin (310), Greene (4), Hamilton (11), Hancock (12), Henry (3), Lake (2), Licking (2), Lorain (5), Medina (4), Montgomery (5), Ottawa (25), Paulding (2), Pickaway (2), Portage (21), Putnam (2), Richland (4), Ross (7), Stark (11), Summit (28), Union (15), Vinton (1), Warren (2), Wood (3), and Wyandot (1).
* In addition to samples tested by the Ohio Department of Health, Franklin County Public Health, Columbus Public Health, Licking County Health Department, and Toledo Area Sanitary District also test some of their samples.
Human surveillance
- 0 West Nile virus cases.
- 0 West Nile virus asymptomatic viremic blood donors.
- 0 West Nile virus asymptomatic viremic organ donors.
Veterinary surveillance
- 0 West Nile virus veterinary cases.
- Reported by the Ohio Department of Agriculture Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.
La Crosse/California encephalitis virus
Human surveillance
- 1 La Crosse virus disease case: 0 females and 1 male, median age 6 years, from 1 county – Perry (1).
- 0 unspecified California virus cases.
Travel-associated mosquito-borne diseases
Human surveillance
- 0 chikungunya virus cases.
- 4 dengue virus cases: 2 females and 2 males, median age 56 years, traveled to – Argentina (1), Costa Rica (1), Dominican Republic (1), and Mexico (1).
- 0 Zika virus cases.
- 57 malaria cases: 20 females and 37 males, median age 36 years, traveled to – Cameroon (5), Cote d’Ivoire (1), Democratic Republic of Congo (3), Ecuador (3), Equatorial Guinea (1), Ethiopia (1), Ghana (9), Guinea (1), India (2), Kenya (2), Liberia (2), Mexico (1), Nigeria (3), Sierra Leone (12), Tanzania (2), Togo (2), Uganda (3), and unknown countries (4).
* Ohioans traveling to areas where local transmission is occurring should be aware of the ongoing situation and make every effort to avoid mosquito bites. Additional information can be found from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Travelers’ Health and Pan-American Health Organization websites.
2023 TICKBORNE DISEASES
Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis
Tick surveillance
- 202 blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis, identified from 43 counties – Ashland (1), Ashtabula (5), Athens (8), Belmont (1), Brown (6), Butler (1), Carroll (3), Clark (2), Clinton (3), Columbiana (9), Coshocton (1), Cuyahoga (5), Delaware (2), Erie (3), Fairfield (2), Franklin (15), Gallia (2), Geauga (7), Greene (3), Guernsey (1), Hamilton (4), Harrison (3), Hocking (1), Jefferson (2), Knox (37), Licking (7), Lorain (4), Lucas (1), Mahoning (3), Medina (4), Mercer (1), Monroe (1), Morrow (2), Perry (1), Portage (6), Preble (1), Richland (6), Stark (6), Summit (9), Tuscarawas (2), Warren (13), Wood (3), Wyandot (4), and unknown (1).
Human surveillance
- 531 Lyme disease cases: 224 females and 307 males, median age 39 years, from 59 counties – Allen (1), Ashland (6), Ashtabula (2), Athens (4), Auglaize (1), Belmont (11), Carroll (9), Clark (4), Clermont (6), Columbiana (53), Coshocton (19), Crawford (1), Cuyahoga (6), Delaware (3), Erie (3), Fairfield (18), Franklin (14), Geauga (4), Greene (1), Guernsey (18), Hamilton (10), Harrison (10), Highland (1), Hocking (12), Holmes (13), Huron (1), Jackson (11), Jefferson (3), Knox (37), Lake (10), Licking (26), Lorain (1), Lucas (1), Madison (3), Mahoning (9), Marion (1), Medina (11), Miami (1), Monroe (1), Montgomery (2), Morgan (2), Morrow (2), Muskingum (44), Noble (2), Perry (5), Pickaway (3), Portage (3), Richland (14), Ross (1), Scioto (2), Stark (30), Summit (21), Trumbull (22), Tuscarawas (15), Union (1), Vinton (1), Washington (7), Wayne (7), and Wood (1).
- 3 anaplasmosis cases: 2 females and 1 male, median age 77 years, from 3 counties – Columbiana (1), Hamilton (1), and Summit (1).
- 1 babesiosis case: 0 females and 1 male, median age 65 years, from 1 county – Franklin (1).
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Tick surveillance
- 799 American dog ticks, Dermacentor variabilis, identified.
Human surveillance
- 9 Rocky Mountain spotted fever cases: 3 females and 6 males, median age 66 years, from 2 counties – Gallia (1) and Jackson (8).
Ehrlichiosis
Tick surveillance
- 144 Lone star ticks, Amblyomma americanum, identified.
Human surveillance
- 5 ehrlichiosis cases: 3 females and 2 males, median age 55 years, from 5 counties – Adams (1), Athens (1), Franklin (1), Warren (1), and Wayne (1).
You may contact the Zoonotic Disease Program (614-752-1029, option 1) if you have any questions.
