Malaria has been in the news recently due to locally acquired human cases in Florida and Texas. According to CDC, these are the first cases of malaria acquired in the United States since 2003. Here in Franklin County, as with most of the nation, we are incredibly unlikely to see any local transmission. Prevention for malaria can be accomplished the same way as any other mosquito borne illness including West Nile Virus: prevent mosquito bites! Some simple steps you can take include:
- Avoiding outdoor activity when mosquitoes are most active, at dusk and dawn
- Using insect repellents with EPA-registered active ingredients
- Choose the repellent that is right for you: https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/find-repellent-right-you
- Wearing long pants and sleeves during outdoor activity if possible
- Removing any sources of standing water around your home
- Submitting a service request at https://mosquito.myfcph.org/request-for-service
Scrap tires and Aedes albopictus (aka Asian Tiger mosquito)
Ae. albopictus are very aggressive day-time biters and are competent vectors for several diseases such as Zika, dengue, and chikungunya. This species can be difficult to control with our typical sprays as they are not as active at night. Because they are known to breed in scrap tires and other artificial containers, Franklin County Public Health and Columbus Public Health are partnering this year to host tire turn-in days throughout the summer. So far, they have collected nearly 1,000 scrap tires! The next event will be July 8 at the Clinton Township Hall on Cleveland Ave.
General mosquito prevention tips here: https://mosquito.myfcph.org/prevention-tips-tools/
Information about Asian Tiger mosquitoes here: https://mosquito.myfcph.org/about-mosquitoes/asian-tiger-mosquitoes/
