Mosquitoes with West Nile virus found in Franklin County
6/24/2010COLUMBUS — Health officials say they've found this year's first evidence in Ohio of West Nile virus, a sometimes serious disease spread by mosquitoes.
The Ohio Department of Health said Thursday that the virus has been confirmed in mosquitoes collected in Franklin County, which includes Columbus. The department notes no human cases of West Nile have confirmed in Ohio so far in 2010.
Symptoms include a rapid onset of fever, headaches, muscle aches and nausea.
The state says it has recorded people with the virus every year since 2002, when there were 441 cases. Last year, Ohio logged just two human cases.
Health Department spokeswoman Jen House says one person died from West Nile in Ohio in 2008, the last time the state saw a fatality.