Mosquitoes infected with West Nile Virus in Monroe County

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — The Monroe County Health Department confirms that they have found a batch of mosquitoes which tested positive for West Nile Virus.

One pool of mosquitoes, which is up to 100 mosquitoes that were tested, had West Nile Virus, a disease that has either no or mild symptoms in most people but can be fatal to some.

A person who has contracted West Nile Virus can develop a fever, body aches, headache, or rash. “However, about 1 in 150 individuals who are infected will have a more severe form of the disease, with symptoms such as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord),” the Monroe County Health Department said in a press release Monday.

Since there is no specific treatment for the West Nile Virus or vaccine for humans, residents are urged to avoid areas where mosquitoes are found.

“Mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk. Any size container holding water, even the size of a bottle cap, could be a breeding area for mosquitoes on your property. Keeping yards mowed will help reduce the mosquito population,” Environmental Health Director Michael Kuzemka said.

The Monroe County Health Department says there are more ways to prevent mosquitoes breeding around you home: drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers left outdoors, clean your gutters, flush bird baths or fountains regularly, and aerate pools or add predatory fish to them.

Common symptoms for West Nile Virus include a high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, sore joins, muscle weakness or paralysis, and confusions. If you develop any of these symptoms, go see a doctor immediately.

The Indiana Department of Health dashboard says that as of Aug. 12, 60 counties have pools which tested positive for West Nile Virus. Hamilton County has detected the most amount of West-Nile-Virus-positive mosquitoes, finding 71 pools were infected with the disease.

Two people, in Dekalb and Vanderburgh counties, have tested positive for West Nile Virus.

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