COLUMBUS — The Galion Health Department was officially awarded $18,000 on Wednesday via the Ohio EPA and Ohio Department of Health.
The funding for Galion was a portion of nearly $1 million in funding for community health departments and related public entities across the state for mosquito control grants.
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, ” Ohio EPA Director Craig W. Butler said. “ Tires are often a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and fortunately, we have developed an innovative way to put dollars to work to help prevent mosquito-borne illnesses.”
Mosquito control grants will specifically target:
- Mosquito surveillance;
- Larval control;
- Adult mosquito control, such as spraying where mosquito presence poses a risk to public health;
- Community outreach; Breeding source reduction, including trash or tire removal;
- Additional proposed activities.
The City of Galion Health Department has on it’s website plenty of information area residents can use to help fight mosquito-born viruses. It includes information on topics such as:
- Can a mosquito bite make me sick?
- What are the symptoms of mosquito-borne viruses?
- Fight the Bite!
- Drain water where mosquitoes grow
- Avoid being bitten by mosquitoes
- Reporting dead birds
Grants totaling $ 976,600 are being issued in 35 counties and four cities and are available in collaboration and support with the Ohio Department of Health’s larger effort to mitigate the potential for an outbreak of mosquito-borne viruses.Over the last two years, Ohio EPA and the Ohio Department of Health have awarded nearly $3 million to local health departments and communities for mosquito control programs.
