Northern Indiana residents warned about rare mosquito-borne virus: 'a serious threat'

INDIANAPOLIS - Health officials are warning northern Indiana residents to take precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes after detecting a rare and potentially deadly mosquito-borne virus in the region.

State public health and animal health officials issued the warning Thursday after determining that the eastern equine encephalitis virus was active in multiple northern Indiana counties, with four horses testing positive for the virus.

State veterinarian Dr. Bret Marsh says the virus "is a serious threat to both horses and people in northern Indiana" until the first hard freeze of the fall season occurs.

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No human cases of the virus disease have been reported in Indiana this year.