West Nile-positive mosquitoes found in Brown County

ORIGINAL POST, JULY 25:

The Indiana State Department of Health has found mosquitoes in Brown County that tested positive for the West Nile virus during routine mosquito testing, Jennifer Heller of the local health department reported this afternoon.

West Nile virus is the most commonly reported mosquito-borne disease in Indiana and in the United States. No human cases have been detected in Indiana so far this year.

Most people who become infected do not develop any symptoms, but some can develop severe inflammation in the brain, spinal cord or other parts of the nervous system, according to the state health department. Symptoms usually appear within 2 to 14 days of a bite from an infected mosquito and can cause headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rash.

As of today, five Indiana counties have reported having West Nile-positive mosquitoes: Brown, Clark, Hamilton, Marion and Union counties.

This is not the first year that mosquitoes carrying the virus have been found in Brown County.

Here are some things the health department and the Centers for Disease Control suggest that people do to minimize mosquito bites:

Use insect repellent. Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered repellents with one of the active ingredients below:

• DEET
• Picaridin (known as KBR 3023 and icaridin outside the U.S.)
• IR3535
• Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE)
• Para-menthane-diol (PMD)
• 2-undecanone

For babies and children: Always follow instructions when applying insect repellent to children.

• Do not use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months. Instead, dress your child in clothing that covers arms and legs.
• Cover strollers and baby carriers with mosquito netting.
• Do not use products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD) on children younger than 3.
• Do not apply insect repellent to a child’s hands, eyes, mouth, cuts or irritated skin.
• Spray insect repellent onto an adult’s hands and then apply to a child’s face.

For everyone:

• Apply insect repellent as directed.
• Do not spray repellent on the skin under clothing.
• If you are also using sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and insect repellent second.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
• Use permethrin to treat clothing and gear (such as boots, pants, socks and tents) or buy permethrin-treated clothing and gear. Permethrin is an insecticide that kills or repels mosquitoes.
• Do not use permethrin products directly on skin.
• Take steps to control mosquitoes indoors and outdoors. Use screens on windows and doors. Repair holes in screens to keep mosquitoes outdoors. Use air conditioning, if available.
• Stop mosquitoes from laying eggs in or near water. Once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover or throw out items that hold water, such as tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpots or trash containers.

UPDATE, AUG. 30: