Health officials in Indiana have confirmed the first human case of West Nile virus in the state this year. The case was reported in Lake County, near Chicago.
The Indiana Department of Health announced that mosquitoes carrying the virus have been found in 15 counties, none of which are in the Wabash Valley.
“Mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance—their bites can potentially lead to serious illness,” said State Health Commissioner Lindsay Weaver, M.D., FACEP. “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.”
To prevent West Nile virus, the state recommends:
Use insect repellent: Apply EPA-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone according to the label instructions.
Wear protective clothing: Wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants. Treat clothing and gear with permethrin (note: do not apply permethrin products directly to the skin).
Homeowners, landlords, and property managers can control mosquitoes by:
- Installing screens on windows and doors and keeping them in good repair.
- Eliminating standing water in containers such as trash cans, tires, buckets, toys, pools, birdbaths, and flowerpot saucers.
- Preventing mosquito access to water containers by removing trash, moving items indoors, covering or overturning items, drilling holes in the bottom of trash containers, installing screens on rain barrels, replacing water in pet bowls daily, and flushing birdbaths and fountains weekly.
- Maintaining properties and landscaping by servicing septic systems, mowing grass, trimming shrubs, cleaning gutters, and aerating ornamental pools or stocking them with predatory fish.