WARSAW – Concern in Kosciusko County has been high regarding the Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEEV) after confirmation of the virus affecting horses in nearby counties.

Eastern equine encephalitis virus. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Instances of the virus have not been found in Kosciusko County, according to Kosciusko County Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver. Testing for the virus is being administered by the Indiana Department of Health.

However, the Kosciusko County Health Department is keeping an eye on the situation after state officials found EEV in Elkhart, LaGrange and Noble counties.

“The health department is monitoring the news of EEEV coming out of Elkhart County,” Weaver said.

EEEV is an arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) that is primarily transmitted by mosquitoes. People infected with EEEV can develop severe inflammation in the brain.

Only a few cases of EEEV disease are normally reported in the United States each year. Most occur in eastern or Gulf Coast states, according to a news release from the Indiana State Department of Health.

As of Tuesday, Oct. 1, 11 cases of EEEV had been confirmed in horses. Those include nine in Elkhart County, two others in LaGrange and Noble counties.

The virus has had a strong presence in Michigan, where it has killed four people, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Spraying for mosquitos has been carried out recently in the three affected counties. While the spraying is expected to kill 90 percent of the mosquitoes, residents in the area are urged to take precautions until the first hard freeze, said the Indiana Department of Health.