1st West Nile Infection from Mosquito to Hoosier Confirmed

Source: Photo by Patrick Pleul/picture alliance via Getty Image

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. — The first confirmed infection of the West Nile virus in Indiana is out of Lake County in the northwestern portion of the state.

No other information about the infected person was released by the Indiana Department of Health Thursday evening. West Nile has been found in mosquitoes throughout 15 different counties in Indiana.

“Mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance—their bites can potentially lead to serious illness,” said State Health Commissioner Lindsay Weaver, “Hoosiers can reduce their risk by wearing bug repellent and taking steps to remove breeding sites, like standing water in discarded tires or other containers around their residences.”

West Nile infections do not usually reach a severe level. Typically, an infected person may experience flu-like symptoms like fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or a rash.

However, the virus can have more severe effects on people 60 and older or those dealing with disease like cancer. Those symptoms can include damaging the nervous system, inflammation in the brain and spinal cord, muscle paralysis, or even death.

You can lower your risk of gathering mosquitoes near your home by keeping the overall hygiene of the house and yard tidy and clean. One area of danger that most people may not be aware of is places that can easily gather water during rain. If water builds in trash, tires, buckets, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, or trash containers, it could become an easy breeding ground for mosquitoes of all types.

Mosquitoes in Marion County tested positive for the West Nile virus last week.

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