Ohio health department shuts self down to grapple with recurring flea infestation at office

Flea infestation shuts down Ohio health department

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 (LANG’-kuh-stur), about 30 miles southeast of Columbus. He says they’ve mostly been an annoyance for his employees and have been a recurring problem for years.

Several public programs scheduled at the building this week have been postponed until Monday.