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West Nile found in Allen County

HARLAN, Ind. (WANE) The Allen County Health Department has confirmed a sample has tested positive for the West Nile virus.

The positive sample came from 11300 Morning Glory Pass in Harlan. Director of Vector Control David Feiss said after any sample tests positive, a crew surveys a half-mile radius looking for a possible breading cite.

Feiss said it took about half a day to survey the area. Crews also treat standing water they see while out gathering samples.

Feiss also added that prior to 2011, crews would go out and do spraying at night to knock down mosquitoes that could be carrying the virus after they had a sample test positive. Due to property tax caps and limited recourse, though, they no longer spray the area immediately. Crews do a half-mile survey to figure out where the breading cite is coming from and then treat the area.

Feiss hasn’t released the findings of the survey yet. 24-Hour News 8’s sister station WANE-TV plans to talk to him later Wednesday afternoon. This story will be updated as more details become available.

A map from the Indiana State Department of Heath shows as of July 8, there have been five confirmed positive test results for West Nile in Indiana.

The health department recommends people reduce their risk of getting West Nile by wearing bug spray containing DEET, wearing long shirts and sleeves and avoiding prime biting times from dusk to dawn.

For more information about those mosquito borne diseases, click here.