NJ's 1st West Nile Virus Case Of Year Reported In Camden County

CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ — Camden County officials detected a "probable" case of West Nile Virus — the first reported in the state this year.

A Winslow Township resident tested positive for the virus, county officials said Tuesday. The Camden County Department of Health and Human Services received word of the positive lab test July 17, which initiated an investigation.

WNV is the most common mosquito-borne illness in the United States, most often seen during the summer and early fall. Four of 5 people infected don't feel symptoms, while only 1 in 50 develop a serious illness, according to Camden County officials. But four of the state's 20 reported cases in 2022 turned fatal.

Symptoms include but aren't limited to fever, headache, altered mental status and other neurologic dysfunctions. People over 50 and those with weak immune systems carry a greater risk of developing serious illness. There's no known treatment for WNV, and the best way to prevent the disease is to avoid mosquito bites.

Health officials recommend using Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents with one of the following active ingredients:

• DEET
• 2-undecanone
• Para-menthane-diol (PMD)
• Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE)
• IR3535
• Picaridin (known as KBR 3023 and icaridin outside the U.S.)

State officials perform viral testing on pools of the bug collected by mosquito-control agencies throughout New Jersey. As of July 15, 31 mosquito pools tested positive for WNV out of 3,461 tested around the state.

The New Jersey Department of Health doesn't provide the precise number of positive pools by county. But the agency's latest surveillance report shows that Camden is one of nine counties with a mosquito pool that's tested positive for WNV. The county had between 20 and 29 pools test positive last year.

During the summer and fall, the Camden County Mosquito Commission schedules spraying on an as-needed basis, based on the results of their surveillance efforts and input from the public.

"The simple act of removing standing water from your property can help reduce the pest population in your neighborhood and assist the efforts of the commission," the county said in a news release.

For more information or to report a problem, contact the Camden County Mosquito Commission at 856-566-2945 or skeeters@camdencounty.com.