Clermont County Public Health has released its 2025 Annual Report.
Yearly, the document provides information about the agency’s finances, services data, and program highlights. The 2025 edition focuses on staff achievements and agency milestones.
The 2025 report, along with previous editions, is available online at ccphohio.org/clermont-county-board-of-health/annual-reports.
As you plan for spring break or summer travel, don’t forget about recommended vaccines if you are traveling abroad. Clermont County Public Health (CCPH) offers immunizations for international travel that you can’t get at a standard doctor’s office.
If you’re planning a trip overseas, first discuss your immunization needs with your primary healthcare provider before your trip. You may need to schedule your immunizations well in advance of your trip, depending on your destination.
Maalinii Vijayan, Assistant Health Commissioner, stresses the importance of planning ahead: “Several travel-related vaccines must be administered weeks in advance to be effective or to meet entry requirements. For instance, yellow fever must be administered at least 10 days before departure. A timing mismatch can result in being inadequately protected, ineligible for certain destinations, or unable to complete the recommended vaccine series before travel.”
The bottom line? Schedule your overseas trip; then schedule your shots!
CCPH can help. Its immunization clinic offers a range of international vaccines including Hepatitis A and B, injectable typhoid, polio, and yellow fever.
In fact, CCPH is one of the only clinics in Southwest Ohio to provide yellow fever inoculations. Travelers visiting parts of Africa and South America may be required to have a yellow fever certificate, commonly called a “yellow card,” to prove they have received the vaccine, which helps prevent a virus spread by mosquitoes.
CCPH can treat adults and children, and patients do not have to be residents of Clermont County. CCPH’s travel vaccines are competitively priced, and self-pay is accepted. For questions or to schedule an appointment, please call (513) 735-8400 or visit our Immunizations page.
The Clermont County Board of Health is seeking a physician to fill a seat opening in March.
The Board of Health acts as the local governing body for Clermont County Public Health (CCPH). Its five members have the authority to adopt rules and regulations to enact policies to prevent disease, promote health, and protect the environment. Overall, the Board provides oversight for CCPH to help ensure the county’s health needs are met.
Of its five members, one member is required to be a physician (MD, DO, DPM). Currently, applications are being accepted for the physician seat, which has been filled by Dr. Joseph Khan for the last 15 years. Ideally, the physician would live in Clermont County, but applicants who practice in the county and reside elsewhere will be considered.
Board members are appointed by the District Advisory Council (DAC), which is comprised of representatives from the Board of County Commissioners, townships, and villages. The DAC meets annually in March to review CCPH’s activities and appoint a Board of Health member. Read more about this process at ccphohio.org/dac.
Board of Health members serve a five-year term and are paid a stipend for each meeting they attend. Currently, the Board of Health meets monthly on Wednesday afternoons at the CCPH office in Batavia. However, this meeting day and time is negotiable and may be changed to accommodate schedules.
For more information, please call Clermont County Public Health at (513) 732-7499. To be considered, physicians are encouraged to email a short letter of interest and their qualifications to the District Advisory Council care of CCPH via ccph@clermontcountyohio.gov.
Final lab test results confirm H5N1 — a strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), more commonly known as the “bird flu” — was detected in the two birds sent for testing from a flock of dead vultures found in Pierce Township in December.
The risk of bird flu to the public remains low.
Approximately 70 dead black vultures were removed from a private property with more removed later. On Dec. 5, Clermont County Public Health delivered two of the birds to the state laboratory for testing. Preliminary test results indicated a presumptive HPAI diagnosis as the cause of death.
Avian influenza is spread naturally in wild birds, poultry, and other animal species through contact with respiratory droplets and bodily fluids. The current strain, which is known as H5N1, has been found in wild and domestic bird populations since 2022 throughout the country, including Ohio. Transmission of bird flu in wildlife can increase in the spring and fall with bird migration.
People can get sick with bird flu when they encounter infected birds or animals, but this is very rare in the United States. As a general precaution, people should observe wildlife from a distance and avoid contact with sick or dead animals. Likewise, bird or backyard flock owners should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds.
If you encounter sick or dead birds, it is important to Report, Protect Yourself, and Monitor Your Health.
Report
Protect Yourself
If you must handle sick birds or other animals, you should:
Monitor
If you have been exposed to sick or dead birds, you should monitor your health for 10 days after your last exposure to the birds or their environment. Monitor yourself daily for symptoms including fever, cough, sore throat, difficulty breathing, eye irritation, headaches, body aches, fatigue, or runny/stuffy nose.
If you develop any of these symptoms, contact your local health department for symptom monitoring. Seek medical care and notify your provider of your potential exposure to bird flu.
For more information, visit the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s website or the Ohio Department of Health’s website.
Preliminary lab test results for the dead vultures found in Pierce Township indicate the birds died from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), H5, otherwise known as the “bird flu.” The risk of bird flu to the public is low.
Clermont County Public Health was notified of approximately 70 dead black vultures found on private property in Pierce Township. On Dec. 5, two birds were delivered to the state laboratory for testing.
Samples have been forwarded to the national lab for further confirmation. It will take 10 days to receive the final report to confirm the presumptive HPAI diagnosis as the cause of death. Because of the initial screening result for HPIA, the lab will not move forward with additional testing.
Avian influenza is spread naturally in wild birds, poultry, and other animal species through contact with respiratory droplets and bodily fluids. The current strain, which is known as H5N1, has been found in wild and domestic bird populations since 2022 throughout the country, including Ohio. Transmission of bird flu in wildlife can increase in the spring and fall with bird migration.
People can get sick with bird flu when they encounter infected birds or animals, but this is very rare in the United States. As a general precaution, people should observe wildlife from a distance and avoid contact with sick or dead animals. Likewise, bird owners or people who have backyard flocks should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds.
If you encounter sick or dead birds, it is important to Report, Protect Yourself, and Monitor Your Health.
Report
Protect Yourself
If you must handle sick birds or other animals, you should:
Monitor
If you have been exposed to sick or dead birds, you should monitor your health for 10 days after your last exposure to the birds or their environment. Monitor yourself daily for symptoms including fever, cough, sore throat, difficulty breathing, eye irritation, headaches, body aches, fatigue, or runny/stuffy nose.
If you develop any of these symptoms, contact your local health department and mention your exposure. Seek medical care and notify your provider of your potential exposure to bird flu.
For more information, visit the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s website or the Ohio Department of Health’s website.
After years of legal action to protect Clermont County’s public health, cleanup has begun at an illegal dump site in Goshen Township.
Tyler Braasch, Director of Water & Waste from Clermont County Public Health (CCPH), along with county leaders and community partners, met Oct. 31 to announce plans to remediate the seven-acre property.
Over the next three months, contractors will remove an estimated 24,000 tons of solid waste, transforming the environmental health of the land. Multiple piles of construction materials, tires, abandoned vehicles, and other debris tower more than 20 feet high in spots.
“This cleanup marks a significant step toward protecting the health and safety of our county,” said Julianne Nesbit, Clermont County Health Commissioner. “Illegal dumping poses serious environmental and public health. Additionally, this site has remained an eyesore for the community for too long. We thank the many partner agencies who support our commitment to ensure a clean, safe community for all residents.”
Efforts to clean up the site date back 17 years. In fact, CCPH first issued orders on the property in 2008. Numerous court actions took place over that time period, which led to the shutdown of the illegal dump and ultimate cleanup efforts.
The massive cleanup is made possible through a $2.5-million grant through the Ohio Department of Development, secured by the Clermont County Land Bank’s acquisition of the property. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is overseeing the site’s cleanup and environmental remediation with final approval expected in 2026.
Once remediated, the land will be returned to Goshen Township. The dumpsite is located across from Eagle’s Nest Golf Course, which is expected to be redeveloped into a 163-acre residential and commercial complex.
Additionally, in 2024, the Ohio EPA cleaned up a related illegal dump on Parker Road in Goshen Township. That cleanup included the removal of 1,700 tons of material.
Julianne Nesbit, Health Commissioner of Clermont County Public Health, is the new president of the Association of Ohio Health Commissioners (AOHC).
Passed the gavel Sept. 24 in Columbus during AOHC’s fall conference, Nesbit will lead the AOHC Board of Directors for the 2025-2026 term. She replaces outgoing president Ben Robison, Wood County Health Department’s health commissioner.
In this leadership role, Nesbit will steer AOHC’s mission to empower and equip Ohio’s local public health leaders. She will work closely with health commissioners from across the state to advance policy, promote collaboration, and advocate for resources.
“The Association of Ohio Health Commissioners is a unifying voice for local health departments, and I am honored to represent this group of public health leaders. To protect and promote the health of all Ohioans, it’s vital that health departments across our state have strong leaders to make their communities healthier,” Nesbit said.
Nesbit, MPH, REHS, has worked in public health since 1997, serving as Clermont County’s health commissioner since 2013. She received her undergraduate degree in environmental management from Ball State University and her Master of Public Health from Wright State University. As health commissioner, she leads the agency’s overall operations and oversees approximately 60 staff members across three branches: Administration, Community Health Services, and Environmental Health Services.
For more information about the Association of Ohio Health Commissioners, please visit https://www.aohc.net/.
Southwest Ohio – Public Health Departments are excited to collaborate with our regional public health and community partners to announce the launch of Southwest Ohio Datahub, which is a new website designed to provide access to population health data, evidence-based practices, and information about regional health resources and activities.
Southwest Ohio Datahub, at www.swohdh.org, will serve as a vital resource for local leaders, healthcare providers, researchers, educators, and community advocates in Adams, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, Highland, and Warren Counties.
“The release of the Southwest Ohio Datahub is the culmination of a multi-agency effort to share up-to-date health data not only between agencies but to all citizens of Southwest Ohio in a consistent and easy to understand manner. The datahub provides a wealth of information related to a variety of health issues, allowing users to quickly see how their community compares to the region, trends in key health indicators, and whether or not their community is on track to meet Healthy People 2030 goals. Access to accurate, real-time data is a critical component factor in the development of effective policies and strategies to address public health issues. We hope that this datahub will serve as a valuable resource that helps shed light on the overall health of Southwest Ohio and ultimately leads to initiatives and programs that improve the wellbeing of everyone in our communities,” said Chris Balster, MPH, REHS, Assistant Health Commissioner for Warren County Health District.
Southwest Ohio Datahub provides valuable insights into the region’s health and wellbeing. It allows for easy identification of areas where there is a high impact, as well as those with the greatest need. Data comes from more than 20 sources, including the American Community Survey, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Ohio Department of Health.
The Southwest Ohio Datahub website allows users to:
• View more than 200 health and quality-of-life data indicators
• Map and visualize data, and generate tailored data reports
• Examine zip-code level maps of socioeconomic need
• Browse through a database of over 2,000 evidence-based practices and programs
• Access county-specific pages with local data, priorities, health improvement strategies, and resources
• Track progress towards county health goals; and
• View more than 250 demographic variables at state, county, and zip code levels
About Southwest Ohio Datahub
This work is supported by a grant from the Ohio Department of Health with the Warren County Health District as the grant recipient and site administrator. For questions, please contact Sarah Sullivan at sullsb@warrencohealthoh.gov.
Clermont County Public Health has welcomed Krista Rose as its new Communications Coordinator / Public Information Officer (PIO).
Rose will be responsible for media relations for the health district. She may be reached at (513) 732-7717 or krose@clermontcountyohio.gov.
Rose is a lifelong resident of Clermont County, bringing both local roots and professional expertise to her role as Public Information Officer. Her deep connection to the community shapes her commitment to ensuring clear, timely, and accessible communication between the Clermont County Public Health team and the residents it serves.
Previously working for a municipality in Greater Cincinnati, Rose brings more than 15 years of experience in the communications field. Her work will focus on keeping Clermont County residents informed and prepared.
Her dedication to transparent communication is matched by her passion for serving her hometown community. She takes pride in using her skills to strengthen the public’s trust in local government and to highlight the important work being done to protect and promote health in Clermont County.
For more information about Clermont County Public Health, please visit https://ccphohio.org/.
A bat from Goshen Township has tested positive for rabies. The incident is isolated, and there is no threat to the public.
The bat was found in a rural barn, and Clermont County Public Health was contacted for testing. An Ohio Department of Health (ODH) laboratory tested the bat for disease.
The rabies virus is spread through the saliva of an infected animal and affects the central nervous system. Once infected, the virus will almost always cause death. However, human rabies cases in the U.S. are extremely rare because of pet vaccinations and anti-rabies treatment. Ohio’s last human rabies case was in 1970, per ODH.
If a bat is found in your home, careful evaluation for possible exposure should be done. Because a bat bite may be so small that it could go undetected, rabies treatment should be considered if the bat was found in a room with a sleeping person, an unattended child who is not able to describe what happened, or a room with an individual under the influence of alcohol or drugs or with other sensory or mental impairment. Contact your local health department if you believe you have been exposed to the rabies virus.
Clermont County Public Health encourages all pet owners to vaccinate their pets annually, including anti-rabies treatment.
For more information, please visit https://odh.ohio.gov/know-our-programs/zoonotic-disease-program/diseases/rabies
