Forty-eight local health departments and municipalities in 42 counties are sharing $813,610 in grant funding from Ohio EPA for mosquito control activities, including $143,000 to remove scrap tires, which can become breeding grounds for mosquito larvae.
The funding will help mitigate the spread of mosquito-borne viruses such as Zika, West Nile, and La Cross Encephalitis.
“The Mosquito Control Grant program has been a major success and is a collaborative effort among state and local agencies,” Ohio EPA Director Laurie A. Stevenson said. “Ohio EPA is pleased to continue offering funding for mosquito control measures to help communities reduce the risks of mosquito-borne viruses and cleaning up scrap tires that can become mosquito breeding grounds.”
In Northwest Ohio, the village of Pemberville is receiving $6,750, and the Wood County Health Department is receiving $19,780.
Mosquito control grants specifically target:
- mosquito surveillance;
- larval control;
- adult mosquito control, such as spraying where mosquito presence poses a risk to public health;
- community outreach; and
- breeding source reduction, including trash or tire removal.
Grants are being issued in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Health’s larger effort to mitigate the potential for an outbreak of mosquito-borne viruses. Over the last six years, Ohio EPA and the Ohio Department of Health have awarded $6.7 million to local health departments and communities for mosquito control programs.
