Press Releases

One pool of mosquitoes collected in the western region of Oneida County has tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), Health Department officials confirmed today.
“This is the first positive EEE mosquito pool detected in Oneida County this year.” Dan Gilmore, Director of Environmental Health said. Gilmore continued, “Earlier this summer we had one West Nile Virus (WNV) positive pool of mosquitoes.

Oneida County Health Department is assessing the ability to dispense medications to hundreds of community members (pretend medication). This Point of Distribution (POD) Exercise, in a true emergency, would identify sites to dispense potentially lifesaving medicine to the public when a large portion of the community’s health is at risk.

The NYS Department of Health has adopted emergency regulations to prevent the spread of Legionella bacteria as a result of an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in NYC. Cooling towers were implicated as the source of this outbreak.

Residents are invited to participate in a public health emergency preparedness POD (Point of Distribution) exercise at MVCC Jorgensen Athletic and Event Center (1101 Sherman Dr. Utica, NY) on Tuesday, September 1st, from 1:00 -2:30 pm Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. announced today.

Mosquitoes usually are considered a nuisance pest, but occasionally they can transmit viruses to people and some animals. These viruses can cause illness and even death. While your chances of being infected with a disease through a mosquito bite are very small, there are simple steps you can take to reduce your risk of being bitten.

During the month of August, as the new school year approaches and the flu season emerges around the corner, the Oneida County Health Department reminds everyone that their immunizations should be up-to-date.