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Environmental
Health Division
Nuisance
Investigation
It is the objective of the Logan County Health
District to eliminate or
reduce the present and anticipated environmental conditions in the community
that may adversely affect the public health, safety and well being.
Our sanitarians responds to complaints of environmental
conditions that may pose a threat to public health.
Each situation must be evaluated to determine the exact threat, educate the persons concerned,
and determine appropriate nuisance removal or abatement.
The Logan County Health District takes all citizen complaints
regarding nuisances seriously. If you
believe that a situation exists which poses a threat to the
public's health, we would like to know. Please call 937.592.9040 and report it to the Logan
County Health District. You may also e-mail us at LCHD@loganhealth.org
with nuisance complaints.
Link
Current Issues
West Nile Virus
In 1999, a
new occurrence of a Middle Eastern virus, known as West Nile Virus, was
discovered in New York. The virus was first detected in Ohio in August
2001 in a Lake County Blue Jay. Various counties throughout Ohio tested
for the West Nile Virus in 2008. 11,018 mosquito pools (a total of 389,062
mosquitoes) were tested with 381 pools being positive. 98 birds were
tested with 14 positive results. 29 horses were tested, all with negative
results. There were also 20 human cases reported, including one
fatality. It is important to note that Logan County did not have a
positive West Nile Virus case in 2008.
Our Health District is monitoring locally for the Ohio Department of
Health Surveillance Program. Click
here to view the Ohio Department of Health
West Nile Virus website.
Household Mold
The Logan County Health District receives many requests to test mold in houses to see if
it is a health risk. The fact is that any mold can be a health risk to
persons depending on their susceptibility. So any mold is bad mold.
Molds should be considered signs of ventilation and moisture problems. The
source of the problem should be identified and repaired. Some examples of
moisture and ventilation problems are: Insufficiently ventilated
basements, crawl spaces, bathrooms, and any room that moisture is allowed to
build up.
Excellent sources of information about household mold are available on the
web at the
Centers for Disease Control
Mold website.
Rats and Rodents
One of the most historic reasons to operate a nuisance
investigation program is the affect of rodent infestations on human
populations. Rats and mice can be found in homes, farm and
ranch buildings, sheds and garages. They are offensive
in many ways:
1. They eat and contaminate all types of food.
2. They damage and destroy property.
3. They carry diseases that are health hazards
to both humans and animals—diseases such
as typhus fever, Trichinosis, plague, infectious jaundice,
Salmonella food infections, and rat mite dermatitis.
Rodent control information
is available from the
Centers
for Disease Control's Rodent Control website.
Resources:
Ohio
Department of Health
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention
US
Department of Health & Human Services
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