DELAWARE, Oh. – The Delaware Public Health District is informing residents that the first group of mosquitoes to test positive in Delaware County for West Nile virus (WNV) has been confirmed by the Ohio Department of Health. The WNV-positive pool of mosquitoes was captured in the City of Powell. No human cases have been reported. 

Due to the Powell Festival taking place on Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24, Heath District registered environmental health specialists will not have the opportunity to fog until after the festival is over. For this reason, it is very important to take the proper precautions to keep you and your family healthy and bite-free:

  • The most effective prevention is to dump standing water where mosquitoes breed. Make sure your property is free of stagnant water in flowerpots, bird baths, tarps, gutters and other places where it can collect.  
  • If you do go out, wear light-colored, long-sleeved clothing.
  • Apply insect repellant that contains one of the following recommended ingredients: Picaridin, DEET, oil of lemon eucalyptus (or PMD), or IR3535. Make sure to follow label instructions.
  • Mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing, so spraying clothes with insect repellent will give extra protection.

Health District staff will be at the Powell Festival in the vendor area distributing repellent wipes and screen mending kits. In addition, the Health District mosquito control team will be treating standing water and catch basins within the City of Powell starting next week.

For more info on the Health District’s mosquito control program, visit DelawareHealth.org/pest-disease-control.

Last Updated on June 23, 2023