Franklin County Public Health will spray for mosquitos Sept. 14-15 in parts of the county where mosquitoes were found to be infected with the West Nile virus.
The spraying for both days will begin at 8:30 p.m., weather permitting.
According to an interactive map from the health agency, spraying will begin Sept. 14 in Dublin; Upper Arlington; the northeastern and southwestern parts of Hilliard; and Perry, Sharon and Brown townships.
On Sept. 15, spraying is planned for Grandview Heights, the northern portion of Bexley, western Prairie Township and the village of Urbancrest.
The health department has an interactive map at mosquito.myfcph.org that shows where spraying will happen. Use the plus or minus buttons on the map to zoom in or out to see the zones
(north, south, and sometimes central, depending on the community) where spraying will occur. The zone boundaries are generally defined by larger secondary roads.
What is West Nile virus?
West Nile virus is spread through mosquito bites. It's one of the most common viruses mosquitoes transmit and can be found in North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia and Asia.
Most people exposed to the virus do not experience symptoms, but one in five infected will experience fever, headache, body aches and other flu-like symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While most people recover completely, sometimes fatigue and weakness can last for weeks or months.
Serious symptoms can arise in about one in 150 people, the CDC says. In these cases, infected people may develop a condition known as encephalitis, which is an inflammation of the brain, or meningitis, inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. People older than 60 are at greater risk for severe illness, as well as people with certain medical conditions like cancer and diabetes.
What kind of spray will Franklin County Public Health use?
The health department will use an insecticide called Permanone 30-30,a low-odor spray that is used for adult mosquitoes, midges and black flies, according to the county health agency.
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com, @ShahidMeighan on X and shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Franklin County to spray for West Nile mosquitoes. Here’s when and where
