Temperature and rainfall determine the number of mosquitoes and the corresponding severity of the West Nile season, which state officials say make an outbreak tough to predict.

“With this earlier than usual discovery of West Nile virus activity, Hoosiers are now at a greater risk of West Nile virus,” said Dr. Jennifer House, director of zoonotic and environmental epidemiology at the Indiana State Department of Health.

House said that a few simple steps could help Hoosiers reduce their chance of contracting the virus. She recommends that people take the following protective measures:

• If possible, avoid being outdoors during prime mosquito biting times from dusk to dawn.
• Apply insect repellent containing DEET, picaradin or oil of lemon eucalyptus to clothes and exposed skin.
• Install or repair screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out of the home.
• When possible, wear long-sleeved shirts and pants while outside.

West Nile virus is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes that have first bitten an infected bird. A person bitten by an infected mosquito may show symptoms three to 15 days after the bite.

Symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, swollen lymph glands or a rash. More serious symptoms – such as encephalitis, meningitis, or neurological disorders – occur in a very small number of cases.

More than 30 Hoosiers have died from the illness, including eight in 2012, since Indiana had its first human case of West Nile virus in 2002.

Health officials say that those over 50 are the most at risk, but the virus can affect people of all ages.

State health officials also recommend clearing your property of potential mosquito breeding grounds. This can be done by discarding any containers capable of holding water, keep grass and shrubbery trimmed, and periodically cleaning and flushing ornamental fountains and birdbaths.

Dr. House said now that West Nile season has begun, it will continue until fall.

“Usually, mosquito transmitted diseases occur during the summer months and don’t show signs of waning until the first hard frost of the season,” she said.

Article writer John Sittler is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.