ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- A pool of West Nile Virus-positive mosquitoes has been located in both Portage Township and Penn Township according to the St. Joseph County Department of Health.

West Nile can potentially cause serious illness. The health department has provided a list of precautions to protect you and your family.

Tips to protect yourself:

• Avoid being outdoors during prime mosquito biting times, which are dusk and dawn, when possible.
• Apply an EPA-registered insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or para-menthane diol to clothes and exposed skin.
• Wear a hat, long sleeves, and long pants to cover exposed skin in places where mosquitoes are especially active, such as wooded areas.
• Treat clothing and outdoor gear with 0.5 percent permethrin if camping or spending extended periods of time outdoors.
• Make sure all windows and doors have screens and that all screens are in good condition.
• Reduce mosquito breeding on and around your property.

Reduce mosquito breeding by doing the following:

• Get rid of old tires, tin cans, or other containers that can hold water. Even a small bucket with stagnant water can become home to up to 1,000 mosquitoes.
• Tip bird baths, flowerpots, and other water-holding containers weekly and refill with clean water.
• Repair failed septic systems.
• Keep rain barrels covered with wire mesh that is smaller than adult mosquitoes.
• Clean roof gutters
• Keep swimming pools clean and chlorinated.
• Drain and fill stagnant pools, puddles, ditches, or swampy places around the home and property.