Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
A dozen dead birds found in Allen County have tested positive for the West Nile encephalitis virus.
Although five dead blue jays from Kosciusko County have been sent to a state laboratory, none have tested positive for West Nile, according to Jennifer Penaherrera of the Kosciusko County Health Department.
"There is a huge possibility it's around this county," she said, "since it's been found in counties north and east of us."
No human has tested positive for the virus in Indiana. One horse from north central Indiana died of the virus in October.
West Nile encephalitis virus is transmitted by mosquitoes that bite at night, Penaherrera said.
The county health department treats standing water within a half-mile radius of towns to kill mosquito larvae.
The insects breed in swampy areas, in "dirty" water May through October.
"Actually, they breed as long as it isn't snowing," Penaherrera said.
Residents should check tires, buckets and unused wading pools and empty them if water has collected.
Another place where large numbers of disease-carrying mosquitoes breed is in accumulations of sewage water. Malfunctioning septic systems that are discharging to the surface should be repaired.
Ornamental ponds can be stocked with bluegills or sunfish, which will feed on the mosquito larvae and pupae.
The most effective mosquito repellents contain diethyl toluamide (DEET) as the active ingredient.
Penaherrera said the health department has received a lot of calls regarding dead birds. Blue jays, crows and raptors are most susceptible to the virus and they are the only species being sent for testing.
She has been called to see dead crows.
"Crows are very large," she said. "They're 17 inches from head to their tail. Rusty blue jays and starlings are not crows."
The bird cannot have been dead more than 48 hours. If the decomposition is more advanced, the state will not test the carcass.
Primarily a wild bird disease, West Nile virus has affected a small number of people, and human symptoms generally are mild. Even in areas where West Nile virus has been reported, less than 1 percent of mosquitoes is infected. Fewer than 1 percent of people bitten by an infected mosquito will become severely ill.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, residents of areas where the West Nile virus has been identified are at risk of getting West Nile encephalitis. People older than 50 years have the highest risk of severe disease.
Most infections are mild, and symptoms include fever, headache and body aches, occasionally accompanied by a skin rash and swollen lymph glands. More severe infection may be marked by headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, paralysis and, rarely, death.
The West Nile virus has been found in nearly 80 bird species and eight mammal species. Prior to August 1999, West Nile virus had never been reported in the Western Hemisphere.
The first report of the virus in Indiana occurred in August 1991 in southeastern Marion County.
For more information on West Nile virus, go to the State Department of Health's Web site: www.IN.gov/isdh
