Ohio EPA announces $700,000 in funding to target mosquito borne illness

In an effort to prevent mosquito borne illnesses, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) and the Ohio Department of Health recently announced the distribution of funding to public entities in the state totalling nearly $700,000.
 
Ohio EPA Director Craig W. Butler and State Medical Director Mary DiOrio announced the funding at a recent event in Urbana, where they announced the 31 counties that will receive a share of the $691,340 being made available by the two agencies. Through this funding, the Ohio EPA and Department of Health hope to mitigate the spread of Zika virus, West Nile virus and La Cross Encephalitis.
 
The funding will help community health departments and other public entities with mosquito surveillance, larval control, adult mosquito control through spraying, community outreach, removing breeding sources like trash and tires and some other proposed activities.
 
The funding will help Champaign County, where Urbana is located, to implement a cross-municipal plan that will involve contributions from the Champaign County Health Department, city of Urbana, village of North Lewisburg, village of Mechanicsburg and village of St. Paris. The cities will work together toward more effective mosquito control.