It’s believed the man was outside gardening several weeks ago when he was bitten by a mosquito infected with the virus, Clark County Health Commissioner Charles Patterson said. He sought medical treatment after suffering from a high fever but succumbed to complications of viral encephalitis, a common side effect of West Nile, Patterson said.
The Clark County death was Ohio’s fourth West Nile fatality, and the first reported in the county in more than a decade. The other deaths this year included an 87-year-old man in Cuyahoga County and two men from Hamilton County, ages 76 and 80.
Colder weather should bring an end to the outbreak over the next several weeks, but until the first freeze, residents should continue to protect themselves against mosquitoes, said Richard Gary, public health entomologist with the Ohio Department of Health.
“Winter can’t come fast enough for me this year, and I’m not a huge fan of winter,” Gary said.
Statewide, there are 97 probable cases of the virus, including eight in Clark County. Other Miami Valley counties reporting cases include Butler, 5; Miami, 1; Montgomery 11; and Warren, 2. Of the ill, 74 have been hospitalized statewide, according to state health officials.
Due to an internal computer server issue, the Clark County health district was unable to release the death certificate or name of the victim Monday. Patterson did note other illnesses also may have affected the man’s health.
Of the eight cases reported in Clark County, most are located in neighborhoods near East Home Road. Patterson said the higher concentration of people living in that area is likely behind the numbers.
West Nile virus became a national health threat again this year, with the Centers for Disease Control warning 2012 is on track to be the deadliest for West Nile since the virus was identified in the U.S. in 1999. Texas has led the nation in cases and fatalities, with 1,355 human infections and 52 deaths.
About 80 percent of people infected with West Nile virus will never show symptoms, and about one in 150 develop severe symptoms, which can include encephalitis and meningitis, according to the state health department.
As winter approaches, the outbreak “is sort of petering out,” Gary said. Several health departments around the state trap mosquitoes for testing to help identify where the virus is and determine where the greatest risk for infection is.
At the height of mosquito season in July and August, the state lab received nearly 20,000 mosquitoes a week for testing; last week, the lab got fewer than 1,000 because the mosquitoes that carry it are either dying off or going into hibernation.
In all about 37 percent of the mosquitoes trapped in Montgomery County tested positive for West Nile, Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County spokesman Bill Wharton said, compared to just less than 20 percent for the state as a whole. More infected mosquitoes doesn’t translate to more infected humans, he said, but it indicates people need to take precautions, including getting rid of standing water where mosquitoes breed, using mosquito repellent and installing window screens or closing windows.
Culex mosquitoes, the species most likely to spread West Nile to humans, survive over the winter by hibernating underground. Many of the mosquitoes now biting people aren’t Culex mosquitoes, though they’re still a nuisance.
Recent rain showers have helped wash out standing water where mosquitoes breed. But the threat isn’t over, Patterson said, because a frost hasn’t happened yet.
“It is a reducing threat as the temperature declines, but the threat is still there and we still want people to understand if you’re outside, you could come into contact with mosquitoes and you need to protect yourself and cover up,” he said.
There’s a lag — often up to two weeks — between when a person gets bitten and when they develop West Nile symptoms, so reports of new cases, and possibly fatalities, will continue for the next several weeks, Gary said, even though fewer people will be infected as mosquitoes become inactive.
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