First West Nile virus case reported in Johnson County resident

A Johnson County resident has the West Nile virus, state health officials announced Friday.

Indiana Department of Health officials say the first West Nile virus disease case of 2023 was identified in a Johnson County resident. No additional information about the patient will be released due to privacy laws, officials said in a news release.

The announcement comes as the virus continues to be detected across the state. To date, 225 mosquito samples taken from 60 counties have tested positive for West Nile virus, according to IDOH.

Late last month, the Johnson County Health Department was notified by state health officials that the West Nile virus was detected in a sample taken from a pool of mosquitoes at the Whiteland Wastewater Treatment Plant. At the time, no residents had been infected by the virus and only one pool was positive.

Now, six out of 14 mosquito pools tested within the county are positive for the virus, according to IDOH’s Mosquito-Borne Diseases Dashboard.

Officials are urging residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites and to take precautions.

“The risk of mosquito-borne disease remains through the first hard freeze, so it is important that Hoosiers take precautions against mosquito bites until then,” Dr. Lindsay Weaver, state health commissioner, said in a statement. “Mosquito season is far from over, and simple prevention steps can help Hoosiers enjoy the outdoors without putting themselves at unnecessary risk.”

Mosquitoes can transmit viruses such as West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalitis (triple-E) virus and La Crosse virus, officials say.

The West Nile virus can cause West Nile fever, which can include fever, headache, body aches, swollen lymph glands or a rash. Some people will develop a more severe form of the disease affecting the nervous system, including inflammation in the brain and spinal cord, muscle paralysis or death. People older than 60 years are at higher risk of severe West Nile virus disease, according to the news release.

Anyone who thinks they may have West Nile virus disease should see their healthcare providers.

State health officials recommend the following measures to prevent mosquito-borne diseases:

• Apply an EPA-registered insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone to clothes and exposed skin;
• Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are active (especially early morning, late afternoon and the hours between dusk and dawn);
• Cover exposed skin by wearing a hat, long sleeves and long pants in places where mosquitoes are especially active, such as wooded areas;
• Install or repair screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out of the home.

Containers as small as a bottle cap can become mosquito breeding sites. Health officials encourage residents to take the following steps to eliminate them:

• Discard old tires, tin cans, ceramic pots or other containers that can hold water;
• Repair failed septic systems;
• Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers left outdoors;
• Keep grass cut short and shrubbery trimmed;
• Clean clogged roof gutters, particularly if leaves tend to plug up the drains;
• Frequently replace the water in pet bowls;
• Flush ornamental fountains and birdbaths periodically; and,
• Aerate ornamental pools, or stock them with predatory fish.

To learn more about what to do to prevent the West Nile virus, go to cdc.gov/westnile/index.html.