Monroe Resident Victim of West Nile Virus: DPH

MONROE, CT — A Monroe resident, aged 50-60, who became ill during the second week of August and hospitalized with meningitis has tested positive this week with West Nile virus, the Connecticut Department of Health (DPH) has reported.

A second case, a child between 5-10 from Newington, who became ill earlier this month with fever and headache, also tested positive for the virus this week.

The Monroe patient is still hospitalized but improving. The Newington child was never hospitalized.

These two new cases bring the total for this season to five human WNV cases. Neither of the new cases traveled out of the area before becoming ill, the DPH said.

"Labor Day weekend is a great time to be outdoors, but please take precautions to prevent mosquito bites, and if you are a parent, that includes your kids," said DPH Commissioner Dr. Raul Pino. "I would also like to encourage our municipalities to treat storm drains with larvicides, this will help reduce the number of mosquitoes that can transmit WNV in September, especially if hot, humid weather continues. The WNV season will not end until the first hard frost in the fall."

WNV has been detected in the state every year since 1999. Before 2018, 134 human cases of WNV were diagnosed in Connecticut residents including three fatalities. Last year, three Connecticut residents were diagnosed with WNV infection.

About 1 in 150 people infected with WNV will develop severe illness. The severe symptoms can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. These symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent.

Up to 20 percent of the people who become infected will have symptoms which can include fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back. Symptoms can last for as short as a few days to as long as several weeks.

Approximately 80 percent of people who are infected with WNV will not show any symptoms at all, but there is no way to know in advance if you will develop an illness or not.

For information on WNV, and how to prevent mosquito bites, visit the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program website.