Flea infestation caused by lack of cleanliness shuts health department
Head of human flea - above....................... Cat flea - above right
Apr 28 2010
LANCASTER, Ohio— A county health department in Ohio has closed because of a hygiene issue under its own roof: an infestation of fleas.
Officials with the Fairfield County Department of Health said Wednesday that its offices would be shut down through the weekend so the building can be cleaned thoroughly and fogged with insecticide.
Fleas can transmit disease, but county Health Commissioner Frank Hirsch says he does not believe the bugs have posed a health risk at the department in Lancaster, about 30 miles southeast of Columbus. He says they've mostly been an annoyance for his employees, who can be seen scratching themselves furiously at their desks. The fleas have been a recurring problem for years, as they are transported by Public Health workers to their own homes and families. Their children then take the fleas to school with them and soon half the county is scratching.
Health officials always assumed it was something in the air, blown pollen or something similar that provoked the constant scratching among Fairfield County residents. A local reporter once penned an article about the problem, naming Fairfield County the ichiest county in the U.S.
Thankfully, several public programs scheduled at the health building this week have been postponed until Monday.
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