West Nile Virus has been detected in a pool of mosquitoes in St. Joseph County. The county health department said Thursday that the mosquitoes with the virus were found in Portage Township.
West Nile can potentially cause serious illness, but the health department says people can reduce their risk by following simple precautions. These include avoiding the outdoors at dusk and dawn, using an EPA-registered insect repellent and covering exposed skin if you’re going to be where mosquitoes are active.
Residents can also reduce mosquito breeding by getting rid of old tires and tin cans, refilling bird baths with clean water each week, and cleaning out roof gutters.
Mosquitoes had previously tested positive for West Nile in Elkhart County, according to the Indiana Department of Health’s dashboard.
