24-Counties Report Viral Encephalitis In Horses

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(UNDATED) - Twenty-four horses in 17 Indiana counties have tested positive for a viral encephalitis that is spread by mosquitoes.

State health officials say the virus can also affect humans, although no known cases have been reported. So far, horses have tested positive in Adams, Boone, Daviess, Decatur, Dekalb, Elkhart, Hendricks, Howard, Jay, Kosciusko, Lagrange, Laporte, Noble, Putnam, Rush, Steuben and St. Joseph counties.

Sandra Norman is the equine director for the Indiana State Board of Animal Health. She says it's the widest dispersion of the virus in Indiana in recent memory.

And she says there probably will be more positive tests until freezing temperatures kill off the mosquitoes.

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