Delaware County has seen its first death from the West Nile virus.
Leo Stigler, 72, died Sept. 8 in Ball Memorial Hospital. At the time, the hospital was unsure of the cause of Stigler's death, his wife, Beatrice Stigler, said. Tests later confirmed Stigler contracted the virus and died from complications related to the disease.
"(The hospital) said he had the stomach flu," Mrs. Stigler said.
The state department of health confirmed Friday Stigler had West Nile, said Bob Jones, administrator of the Delaware County Health Department. Jones said it takes a week to confirm whether a person contracted the virus.
Stigler's death brings the total number of probable or confirmed human cases of West Nile in Indiana to 64, according to the state health department's Web site.
Stigler lived on the east side of Muncie. He became ill and was admitted to the hospital on Sept. 6. He died two days later, before test results were received.
The virus, transmitted by mosquitoes, typically causes flu-like symptoms and rarely leads to death, Jones said.
"Most people who contract this illness, it's pretty mild," he said. "But it can make a person acutely ill if encephalitis sets in."
Encephalitis is a type of brain inflammation. West Nile can also cause meningitis, which is inflammation of the tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord.
More severe disease is likely in individuals more than 50 years of age, according to the state health department. No known cure is currently available for humans who contract the virus.
Jones said the health department had sprayed the chemical ANVIL, which is used to kill adult mosquitoes, in the area where Stigler lived. Stigler's wife said her husband had to have contracted the virus in Muncie since he had not traveled elsewhere recently.
Delaware county has been spraying for mosquitoes 5 or 6 nights a week, Jones said.
"It knocks down a lot of mosquitoes, but it doesn't knock them all down," he said.
Combating mosquitoes has now become a more difficult task, Jones said. He said the mosquito species culex pipiens, which is one of the species that can carry the West Nile, is more prevalent during the fall in Indiana.
Jones also said money used to buy the spray has been exhausted.
"Funding is becoming an issue," he said.
In August, Jones said the county still had between $3,000 and $4,000 left to purchase more spray. But frequent spraying to control the mosquito population quickly depleted the fund, which came from public tax dollars and state money.
Another shipment of the spray should arrive this week, Jones said. The shipment should be enough to continue spraying for another couple of weeks, depending on weather conditions.
The spray cannot be used if there is wind above 10 mph or if it is raining.
Jones said once evening temperatures drop below 60 degrees, the health department can quit spraying because mosquitoes are not very active in cooler weather.
Until then, Jones said despite the recent death from the West Nile virus, there is no need for alarm.
He advised people who are out during evening hours to wear an insect repellent with DEET in it, long sleeves and pants. But he said the repellent should not be used on small children.
"Just don't have them outside during the night," Jones said.
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