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Last updated on Tuesday, September 29, 2015
(MONROE CO.) - Mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus have been found in Monroe County.
According to a release from the Monroe County Department of Health, the state's mosquito surveillance team identified the virus in two batches of mosquito samples taken from the county on September 25. No human cases of West Nile virus have been reported in the county.
County health officials are encouraging residents to know the symptoms and to protect themselves.
"You can help protect your family and your community from West Nile virus by eliminating areas of standing water available for mosquito breeding in or near your property," said environmental Health Specialist Simeon Baker, who manages Monroe County's mosquito surveillance program, in a release.
Areas that hold water for more than a week - such as birdbaths, unused wading pools, clogged roof gutters, and unused containers - are ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Left unattended, they can result in up to a thousand mosquitoes.
The virus is transmitted when an infected mosquito bites a person, with most infected people showing only mild symptoms similar to a common cold, such as fever and body aches. Officials say it can take 3 to 15 days after the bite for symptoms to show, and some people have no symptoms at all.
In cases of more severe symptoms like high fever, muscle weakness or paralysis, neck stiffness, sore joints or confusion within 15 days of being bitten, residents should contact a doctor immediately, officials say.
According to the ISDH arboviral disease map, of the 437 mosquito infections identified statewide as of September 25, there have only been 12 human disease cases.
A State Health Department map shows two human cases in Vanderburgh and Marion counties and one each in Bartholomew, Hamilton, Hendricks, Howard, Huntington, Jasper, Madison and St. Joseph counties.
Last week, the Indiana State Department of Health reported there have been two fatalities in Indiana this year from West Nile. The Vanderburgh County Health Department announced Tuesday that one person in that county had died from the virus.
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