OHIO — Ohio's tiny nuisances are still hanging around, even with the first day of autumn approaching. 

The Ohio Department of Health's Zoonotic Disease Program, alongside local health, sanitary district partners and ODH Laboratory continue to monitor vector-borne diseases statewide, and since the last numbers reported on Aug. 23, there have been several increases.

What You Need To Know

  • Vector-borne diseases are diseases passed through "vectors" such as mosquitos, ticks and fleas

  • ODH updates the disease counts, here, every Friday at noon throughout summer and fall

  • On Sept. 6, the department reported an increase to 518 cases of Lyme disease

  • Licking County had the highest count at 40 cases, followed closely by Jefferson with 37 cases, Columbiana with 33, Stark with 28 and Knox with 26

Vector-borne diseases are diseases passed through "vectors" such as mosquitos, ticks and fleas. 

In Ohio, diseases monitored vary by which insect passes them along to humans. For mosquitos, West Nile Virus, La Crosse and travel-associated diseases are tracked while for ticks Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) and Ehrlichiosis are monitored.

The disease counts are updated each Friday, here.

On Aug. 23, ODH reported 423 cases of Lyme disease. On Sept. 6, the department reported an increase to 518 cases of Lyme disease. There were 225 females and 293 males who contracted the disease. The cases were spread over 60 counties.

Licking County had the highest count at 40 cases, followed closely by Jefferson with 37 cases, Columbiana with 33, Stark with 28 and Knox with 26.

The most common symptoms to monitor with a tick bite are fever/chills, rash, aches and pains according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the Sept. 6 report, ODH said for tick-monitored diseases, there were 11 anaplasmosis cases, two cases of babesiosis, 11 RMSF cases and 16 Ehrlichiosis cases. Anaplamosis and Ehrlichiosis cases both saw an increase from the Aug. 23 data. In June, health officials cautioned that Lyme disease has increased 35-fold over the past 13 years.

However, there was a change in mosquito-monitored disease, with a West Nile Virus case being reported in Wyandot County in a 77-year-old man. There is also one case of La Crosse in a 6-year-old boy in Wayne County.

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