La Crosse virus (LACV) is an arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) in the California group of viruses spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes.
Most people infected in Ohio are bitten by the eastern treehole mosquito, Aedes triseriatus, an aggressive daytime biting mosquito commonly found in wooded areas. La Crosse virus is endemic in Ohio, and Ohio has reported more human cases than any other state in the United States, averaging about 20 cases per year.
Mosquitoes and Ticks
Mosquitoes and Ticks are Arthropods that can carry and spread diseases to people. Arbovirus infections are typically transmitted via the bite of an infected mosquito, tick, sand fly, and other arthropods.
- Vector-borne diseases — such as Zika virus and Lyme disease — require a mosquito, tick or other arthropod to transmit them from animals to humans. Other diseases that are spread like these include Rocky Mountain spotted fever, St. Louis encephalitis, and West Nile virus.
- More information about zoonotic diseases can be found at the Ohio Department of Health.