Shelton Resident Infected with West Nile Virus

A Shelton resident is among five state residents that have contracted West Nile Virus this year.

The Department of Public Health reported that four Bridgeport and one Shelton resident were infected so far this year.

The five patients are between 30 and 80-years-old. The Shelton resident is between 50 and 59-years-old.

Four out of five patients were hospitalized and all five are recovering. The Shelton resident’s onset of disease began the week of August 23.

“While the threat of virus transmission to people is subsiding, four human cases is an unusual number in one town, and we are closely monitoring the situation with the Bridgeport Health Department and the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station,” said Dr. Randall Nelson, infectious disease epidemiologist with the Connecticut Department of Public Health. “We continue to remind residents of the importance of taking precautions to avoid mosquito bites.”

West Nile Virus infected mosquito numbers have declined significantly in Bridgeport past three weeks.

“However, there is still risk of new human infections in Bridgeport and several other Connecticut towns where infected mosquitoes have been repeatedly identified, especially along the coast from New Haven to Greenwich,” said Dr. Philip Armstrong, medical entomologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

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Health officials recommended the following to reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes.

• Homeowners and businesses should remove standing water around their property.
• Minimize time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
• Be sure door and window screens are tight-fitting and in good repair.
• Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time, or when mosquitoes are most active. Clothing should be light colored and made of tightly woven materials that keep mosquitoes away from the skin.
• Use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in an unscreened structure and to protect small babies when outdoors.
• Consider the use of mosquito repellent, according to directions, when it is necessary to be outdoors.

Exposure to mosquitoes and the risk of acquiring WNV infection varies by season and geographic region. In Connecticut, the risk is highest during August and September and typically subsides in October as mosquitos die off due to lower temperatures.

This season, WNV-positive mosquitoes have now been identified in 23 towns: Bridgeport, Cheshire, Chester, Darien, East Haven, Glastonbury, Greenwich, Groton, Guilford, Haddam, Hartford, Milford, New Britain, New Haven, Norwalk, Stamford, Stonington, Stratford, Waterford, West Haven, Westport, Wethersfield and Wilton. Of the 23 towns, 14 are located along Long Island Sound. Positive mosquitoes continue to be identified at various locations.

During 2014, WNV-positive mosquitoes were identified in a total of 15 towns. Six people, including two Bridgeport residents, were reported with WNV-associated illnesses. The patients were all adults between 20 and 70 years of age. Onsets of illness occurred from the third week of August to the first week of October. There were no fatalities; however, five people were hospitalized.

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