West Nile found in Jay

On Friday evening, Jay County Health Department reported mosquitoes in Jay County have tested positive for West Nile Virus.

The health department is encouraging area residents to take precautions, including wearing long sleeves and applying insect repellent, especially from dusk to dawn when mosquitoes are most active. Residents should also remove any stagnant water, which is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, as well as cleaning clogged gutters.

“Everybody should make sure they’re protecting themselves when they go outside, especially between dusk and dawn,” said health department environmentalist and administrator Heath Butz.

The statewide database on West Nile Virus from the Indiana Department of Health has not been updated with 2024 numbers as Jay County is one of the first locations in the state to show a positive test this year.

West Nile Virus was also found in mosquitoes in Jay County in 2017, '18, '21 and ’22 and ’23. The first positive tests in the last two years came on Aug. 17 and July 28, respectively. (Although the disease is most common in the late summer months, West Nile Virus disease can occur any time during the mosquito season, which is typically from May through October in Indiana.)

“The prevention measures are going to be the same,” said Butz. “We’re just going to have a longer season to be mindful of West Nile Virus and the potential risks that are involved with it.”

The health department noted that most who contract West Nile Virus have few or no symptoms, which include headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea and rash. It is transmitted to humans when they are bitten by an infected mosquito.

Those over 60 or with compromised immune systems are at higher risk for severe illness, which can include tremors, encephalitis, coma and paralysis.

For more information, call the health department at (260) 726- 8080. Brochures are also available at the health department, 504 W. Arch St., from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.