Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) Director Craig Butler and State Medical Director Mary DiOrio of the Ohio Department of Health have announced funding for community health departments and related public entities across the state to help mitigate the spread of mosquito-borne viruses such as Zika, West Nile, and La Cross Encephalitis.
A plan set forth by Champaign County is particularly significant because it involves governments, including the Champaign County Health Department, city of Urbana, village of North Lewisburg, village of Mechanicsburg, and village of St. Paris, working together in a prime example of collaborative effort toward mosquito control.
Ohio EPA grants will specifically target: mosquito surveillance; larval control; adult mosquito control, such as spraying where mosquito presence poses a risk to public health; community outreach; breeding source reduction, including trash or tire removal; and other possible proposed activities. The grants, totaling $691,340, are being issued in 31 counties and made available in conjunction with the Ohio Department of Health’s larger efforts to mitigate the potential for an outbreak of mosquito-borne viruses.
View more details on the second round of mosquito control grants here.
