The Cincinnati Health Department (CHD) is announcing that two batches of mosquitoes from the two different neighborhoods have tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV). The positive mosquito pools were trapped in College Hill and Mt. Lookout. These are the first mosquito batches in the City of Cincinnati to test positive for WNV in 2017 and the first positive test results of the season. No human cases have been reported in the city this season.
WNV is transmitted to humans via the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes are infected when they feed on birds carrying the virus.
Symptoms of the WNV usually appear within a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Most individuals infected with WNV will not experience any illness. In others, symptoms are often mild and can include flu-like illness such as fever, muscle aches, headaches, and fatigue. A very small percentage of individuals infected with WNV can go on to develop more serious central nervous system disease, including meningitis or encephalitis.
