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State public health and animal health officials are urging northern Indiana residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites.

Residents are also encouraged to monitor their horses for illness in response to the detection of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus activity in multiple northern Indiana counties.

"EEE ('triple E') virus is a serious threat to both horses and people in northern Indiana," Dr. Bret Marsh, DVM, state veterinarian at the Indiana State Board of Animal Health said. "While this risk is currently decreasing due to cooler weather, it will persist until the first hard freeze of the year."

As of Oct. 4, two horses in LaGrange County and one horse in Kosciusko County have tested positive for EEE virus in 2022.

No human EEE virus disease cases or infected mosquitoes have been reported in Indiana so far this year.

Health officials said due to the habitat being suitable for vector mosquitoes throughout the area, humans and horses in all northern Indiana counties are potentially at risk.

While the risk of EEE virus infection begins to decrease when evening and overnight temperatures drop to 60°F, the risk is not eliminated until the first overnight hard freeze.

State officials recommend the following preventive measures for those at risk:

While rare, EEE virus can cause serious illness and has a fatality rate of around 33% or higher.

Many people who recover may still experience long-term complications.

Symptoms of EEE virus disease include chills, fever, body aches and joint pain. Some people develop a more severe form of the disease affecting the nervous system and causing encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).

People younger than the age of 15 and older than the age of 50 are at the greatest risk of severe disease if infected with EEE virus, officials said.

People who think they may have EEE virus should contact their healthcare provider.

Officials said EEE in horses is often called "sleeping sickness" because infected animals become comatose.

Other clinical signs may include listlessness, high fever, head pressing and seizures. Horses that develop EEE rarely survive.

Infected mosquitoes carry the virus; it does not spread from horse to horse or horse to human. Contact a veterinarian if any of these signs are noticed. Testing is available for EEE.

To view EEE surveillance data, click here.

To learn more about EEE virus, visit the Indiana Department of Health website.

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