Greenwich Resident Tests Positive For West Nile Virus

GREENWICH, CT — The Greenwich Department of Health on Friday announced that a resident between the age of 80-89 has tested positive for West Nile Virus.

The town was notified by the Connecticut Department of Public Health that the resident became ill at the end of August.

"This case of human illness demonstrates that WNV can cause serious illness and whenever the virus is present, there is a potential for human infection," said Greenwich Director of Health Caroline Baisley.

"There will continue to be infected mosquitoes until the first frost so persons, particularly those older than 50 years of age, must take personal protection precautions to avoid mosquito bites when outdoors at any time of day, especially during twilight hours," Baisley added.

There have been four cases of human WNF infections in Connecticut so far this year in Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield Counties, the town health department said. WNV has been isolated in mosquitoes in 24 towns, including Greenwich.

Greenwich is continuing to fight against WNV by conducting a preemptive larviciding program, which includes the treatment of public and private roadway catch basins, public school ground catch basins and other property owned and operated by the town as needed.

This year’s program began in June and larvicide is reapplied every four to six weeks into early fall.

"Controlling the mosquito population in the larval stage through the application of larvicide has been found to be a prudent action," Baisley said. "Although this measure helps reduce the mosquito population, it certainly does not eliminate it. Residents are therefore encouraged to protect themselves."

Greenwich Director of Environmental Services Michael S. Long said the general public should remain vigilant in eliminating standing water on their own properties, and protecting themselves from mosquitoes at all times.

"It is important to recognize that the highest risk of exposure to West Nile Virus infected mosquitoes is during the months of August and September," Long said.

The virus is spread to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito, which becomes infected when it bites a bird carrying the virus.

WNV is not spread by person-to-person contact or directly from birds to people, the health department said.

General symptoms occur suddenly between five to 15 days following the bite of an infected mosquito and range from slight fever, headache, rash, swollen lymph nodes, nausea, malaise and eye pain, to the rapid onset of severe headache, high fever, stiff neck, disorientation, severe muscle weakness, gastrointestinal symptoms, coma or death.

Most people who are bitten by an infected mosquito are able to fight off infection and experience mild or no symptoms at all.

Some individuals, including the elderly and persons with compromised immune systems, WNV can cause serious illness that affects the central nervous system, the health department said.

In a minority of infected persons, especially those over 50, WNV can cause serious illness, including encephalitis and meningitis. Infection can lead to death in 3 to 15 percent of persons with severe forms of the illness.

Residents should follow these tips from the Greenwich Health Department:

• Avoid outdoor activities at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
• Wear long sleeved shirts and long pants.
• When using mosquito repellents with DEET, use the lowest concentration effective for the time spent outdoors (for example, 6 percent lasts approximately two hours and 20 percent for four hours) and wash treated skin when returning indoors. Do not apply under clothing, to wounds or irritated skin, the hands of children, or to infants less than two months old.
• Avoid application of repellents with DEET on infants and small children.
• Cover arms and legs of children playing outdoors.
• Cover playpens or carriages with mosquito netting.
• Don’t camp overnight near stagnant or standing water.

Eliminate standing water by:

• Getting rid of any water holding containers (old tires, etc.).
• Rake out puddles and drain ditches, culverts, gutters, pool and boat covers.
• Cover trash containers.
• Chlorinate your backyard pool and empty wading pools when not in use.
• Change the water in bird baths daily.
• Keep grass cut short and shrubbery well trimmed around the house so adult mosquitoes cannot hide there.
• Ponds and stagnant water bodies that do not support fish, frogs or other amphibians that eat mosquito larvae may be treated with a biological control agent such as Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (BTI). It is suggested that the Department of Health or Conservation be contacted when treatment is considered.