Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Mosquito season isn't over yet, and Kosciusko County Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver wants to remind county residents to continue to wear bug repellent.
"It's still mosquito season until we get a real good killing frost. We should all wear bug repellent," Weaver said.
Weaver issued the reminder because a horse recently died in Milford of a confined case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
Birds are the reservoirs for the Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus. When a mosquito bites a bird with the virus, the mosquito can carry the virus from the bird to a horse, a cow or a person. The chance of animals getting the disease is greater because animals are outside for longer periods.
Normally, the problem is more common in Michigan and northern Indiana counties like St. Joseph, LaGrange and Laporte, but as birds begin to move south for the winter, they carry the virus with them, Weaver said.
Indiana State Department of Health Senior Medical Entomologist Dr. Mike Sinsko said, "We've been testing the birds in northern Indiana all summer long and haven't seen any virus activity in northern Indiana." He said now that the birds are migrating, it is possible there could be more cases.
As for symptoms, Sinsko said, "When a horse develops the illness, it will usually become disoriented ... and will die within 24 hours."
Humans may suffer from high fever, stiff neck and other symptoms. Sinsko said most people will see a doctor when the symptoms become severe. There is no anti-viral medication for the disease for humans but there is one for horses. Doctors support human patients as best they can while the patients' bodies fight off the symptoms, Sinsko said. The disease can be fatal.
The virus is transmitted only by mosquitoes. To avoid the virus, Sinsko said, "What we usually recommend for people is when Eastern Equine Encephalitis is being transmitted in the area, we recommend wearing mosquito repellent."
Because of the dry weather, Sinsko said, the mosquito population has not been high this year.
For answers to questions about the virus, Sinsko said, a person should contact their local health department or the state health department.
