The Hamilton County Health Department reported a case of West Nile virus in a mosquito sample collected at Founder’s Park in Carmel.
It is typical for the West Nile virus to be spotted in mosquitoes this time of year.
Joe Davis is the Environmental Supervisor for the Madison County Health Department. Davis said most Indiana counties will find mosquitoes with West Nile virus this year.
“In my experience, we tend to find it later in the season, but it all depends on how much trapping is done, where it's done,” Davis said. “It's out there. It's out there every year. Whether you actually catch it in your traps or not, just kind of depends how much trapping you're doing and that kind of stuff.”
The Hamilton County Health Department said in a statement that it is increasing trapping and testing in the sample-positive area. It will also conduct adult mosquito fogging to decrease that population.
Lee Green is the senior medical entomologist at the Indiana Department of Health. Green said because mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, urban environments are at greater risk of West Nile virus because gutters, canals, dumpsters, pet food bowls and swimming pools — all containers that hold water — are breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
“It seems counterintuitive because everyone thinks ‘Well, if I'm going camping this weekend, I need to be extra careful with mosquito bites.’ But quite frankly, we're at most risk in our own backyards,” Green said.
The good news is that Indiana has one main species of mosquito that transmits West Nile virus throughout the state, and it has a small flight range of about half a mile from its breeding site.
“If you look at Indiana, we have the same mosquito in Evansville that will give us West Nile as we do in Lake County or Gary,” Green said. “So, removing mosquito breeding from our own backyards truly does protect our families and ourselves.”
He said preventing bites is also essential.
“Right now, the risk is low, but we expect that to increase because of that viral amplification throughout the summer. And the mosquito-borne disease is extremely easy to prevent just by avoiding mosquito bites,” Green said.
To best prevent bites, the Hamilton County Health Department suggests wearing long-protective clothing, applying “EPA approved insect repellent containing DEET, Picaridin, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus,” closing doors and windows or making sure sun screens are in good condition, and limiting outdoor activities during dusk and dawn.
More information about mosquito surveillance, activity, and data can be found here.
Contact WFYI reporting intern Daniel Huber at dhuber@wfyi.org
