1st Human Case Of West Nile Virus Reported: State

WATERBURY, CT — The state Department of Public Health announced the first case of West Nile Virus in Connecticut this year. The patient was a resident from Waterbury who is believed to have been exposed to the virus in the Newington/Wethersfield area.

The individual who tested positive was between 40 to 49 years old and became ill in the second week of July. Laboratory tests on the patient confirmed the presence of antibodies to West Nile Virus.

"The identification of a Connecticut resident with West Nile virus associated illness emphasizes the need to take actions to prevent mosquito bites," Department of Public Health Acting Commissioner Dr. Diedre S. Gifford said in a statement. "Using insect repellent, covering bare skin, and avoiding being outdoors during the hours of dusk and dawn are effective ways to help keep you from being bitten by mosquitoes."

Last month, the state had tested more than 105,000 mosquitoes, with only two coming back with positive results.

According to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most people who are bitten by a mosquito with West Nile virus do not suffer any serious illnesses. But for some, they may develop a fever in addition to "headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash."

In rare occurrences, more serious symptoms may develop, such as encephalitis or meningitis.
To avoid mosquitoes that may carry West Nile virus, use insect repellent; wear long sleeve tops and long pants; and empty outdoor containers that may have standing water where mosquitoes like to breed.

"We continue to have weather conditions that are favorable for the mosquitoes that transmit West Nile virus,” Dr. Philip Armstrong, medical entomologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment station, said in a statement. "These mosquitoes are most abundant in urban and suburban areas with dense human populations."

In related news, a mosquito trapped at Stonington High School on August 3 also tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus, according to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Experts said this was early in the season to find mosquitoes testing positive for the EEE.

See related: Mosquitoes Bearing EEE Virus Are In CT Now. What's The Plan?

West Nile Virus Found In Stamford Mosquito: State