Press Releases

An Oneida County resident recently test positive for West Nile Virus. This person has a travel history outside of Oneida County and has not exhibited any severe symptoms.
“Each week our Environmental Health Division collects a variety of mosquitos’ species from 9 trap sites around the county and submits them to the Wadsworth Laboratory as part of our ongoing WNV monitoring program,” said Phyllis D. Ellis, Director of Health. Ellis added, “To date, all collections from these sites have tested negative for the virus.”

Giant Hogweed is a public health hazard that ranks higher than poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac in respect to its potential to harm humans. The reason for concern is that the sap from this plant can cause a severe skin reaction known as photo-sensitivity. The reaction can happen up to 48 hours after contact. After coming in contact with the sap, the skin blisters when exposed to sunlight. Contact with the eyes can lead to temporary or possibly permanent blindness.
“The hogweed is troubling because not only is it an invasive plant, but it's a health hazard too,” said Phyllis D. Ellis, Director of Health for Oneida County.

An injured kitten found in the Westmoreland-area has been euthanized due to the effects of rabies.
The cat was euthanized on July 24 and the Oneida County Health Department received confirmation on July 26 that it tested positive for rabies. No positive human cases have been reported in association with the incident.

The Oneida County Health Department announced today that the Village of Camden won the 2017 Tap Water Taste Contest. The contest was held at the Boonville-Oneida County Fair on Tuesday, July 25, 2017. The contest promotes awareness of the value of public drinking water to the public. The contest has been held throughout New York State for the past 20 years. Its goal is to enable the general public to become aware of the value and the quality of public tap water through a non-scientific and publicly involved competition.

The CDC has issued a Level 2 Travel Alert because of an ongoing yellow fever outbreak in Brazil. Brazilian health authorities have recently expanded the list of areas in which yellow fever vaccination is recommended and are recommending enhanced precautions when traveling to Brazil.

The Oneida County Health Department is urging residents impacted by recent flooding conditions to take precautions when dealing with flood waters resulting from the heavy rains and overflow conditions.