Muskingum County Begins Mosquito Spraying

Muskingum County began its annual mosquito control spraying in response to the heavy population of mosquitoes this season.

West Nile virus has already been detected in Franklin County, after mosquitoes found in the area tested positive for the virus. Public Health Sanitarian, Matt Hemmer, said the Zanesville Muskingum County Health Department is taking proper precautions here to help control the problem and prevent potential spread.

“Due to the high amount of rain that we saw early in the year, we are seeing an increase in the mosquito population…kind of early this year in regards to years past, but as the rain subsides and the areas dry up we would hope to see that number drop,” he said.

The Health Department encourages all citizens to protect themselves from potential mosquito bites by applying insect repellent on exposed skin, covering up, avoiding the outdoors between dusk and dawn, and removing standing water from yards.

“Unfortunately, a mosquito born disease is not rare for this area, we have had many instances of that in the past,” Hemmer said. “When we do see those, we increase our activity in those areas to best protect the community.”

The Mosquito Control Program’s goal is to reduce mosquito-borne diseases in humans. If you have a mosquito problem or concern call the hotline number at 740-454-9741 ext. 300.