INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — State health officials are asking Indiana residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites after the first West Nile virus case of 2021 was identified in a Lake County resident, and in mosquitoes in multiple other counties.

As of Friday, 83 mosquito pools positive for West Nile virus were detected in Allen, Clark, Daviess, Elkhart, Floyd, Gibson, Hamilton, Jennings, Lake, Marion, Martin, Pike, Scott, Steuben, St. Joseph, Vanderburgh and Vigo counties.

State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said mosquitoes are still active in cooler fall weather, and all Hoosiers should take precautions against mosquito-borne diseases until the first hard freeze.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.