Another non-native species, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, is the primary carrier of Zika but has not be found in any traps in the Miami Valley.
In Clark County, health officials have found Aedes albopictus in two locations in Green Twp., and three locations in Springfield.
“It doesn’t mean that they necessarily have the virus, but they can carry it,” said Samantha Eggers, a Clark County health inspector in training. “There’s no reason to panic, just be aware that if the Zika virus were to become a problem for us we could see it in our mosquito population.”
Health inspectors from the Clark County Combined Health District have been working with the Ohio Department of Health to trap mosquitoes since June. The traps are set two to three times per week in various locations throughout the county.
But trapped mosquitoes are not being tested for Zika because there have been no confirmed cases of locally acquired Zika anywhere in the state, according to health officials in Montgomery County, where Aedes albopictus also has been found.
“In Florida, where they’ve got ongoing transmission in the area, they have done testing of mosquito pools for Zika, but that is not currently being done in the state of Ohio,” said Tom Hut, a supervisor at Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County.
Each of the 52 confirmed cases of Zika in Ohio have been traced back to travelers returning from Zika-plagued countries, including a Champaign County man who was diagnosed with the virus this summer.
Still, the health district is warning residents to protect themselves and their families until the first freeze of the year.
It’s been a slow summer trapping mosquitoes because it’s been very dry, Eggers said. There are several other mosquitoes who can also carry the West Nile Virus, she said.
“Even though we’re not seeing as many of them, you still want to protect yourself from them,” Eggers said.
Residents should wear long sleeves or mosquito repellent as well as keep their property clean, especially clearing standing water, she said.
The health district may perform more trapping in more areas in the coming weeks, especially as rain has increased, to see if there are a large number of mosquitoes in the area, Eggers said.
No cases have been transmitted by mosquitoes in Ohio, but the health district is warning residents to protect themselves and their families until the first freeze of the year.
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