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INDIANAPOLIS — State health officials are urging Hoosiers to take steps to protect themselves from mosquito bites after West Nile virus was detected in mosquitoes for the first time this year.
A mosquito sample collected in Clinton County has tested positive for West Nile. No human cases of the disease have been detected this year. However, the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) expects virus activity to continue across the state during mosquito season, which continues through the first hard freeze.
About 80 percent of people infected with West Nile virus will not develop any symptoms. About 20 percent of people infected with West Nile will develop an illness accompanied by fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rash. Less than 1 percent of people infected will develop severe illness affecting the nervous system, which can include inflammation in the brain or in the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. About 10 percent of severe disease cases are fatal.
People who think they may have West Nile virus should contact their healthcare provider.
