State reports 26 probable West Nile cases

INDIANAPOLIS -- State health officials said Monday they had identified 26 new probable human cases of West Nile virus.\nThis brings the total number of probable or confirmed human cases of the virus in Indiana to 228.\nNo specific information was released about those suspected to have the mosquito-borne infection.\nState health officials said the ages of those infected in Indiana range from less than 2 to 89, with a median age of 50. Men have 109 of the cases and 119 are female.\nOnly 36 of the probable 228 probable cases have been confirmed by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\nThe counties with the new cases are: Adams, four; Allen, eight; Elkhart, three; Grant, two; Howard, one; Lake, four; Marion, one; Porter, one; and Whitley, two.\nAllen County has the most probable human cases in the state with 62 total. State health officials believe six Indiana residents have died from the virus.\nThe virus, which is mostly spread through mosquito bites, has infected 3,231 people across the country so far this year and killed 176, the CDC said. Most people bitten by an infected mosquito never get sick.\nState health officials said they did not expect a significant decrease in the number of new cases until a hard frost kills many mosquitoes.