Waterbury

West Nile Virus Detected in Mosquitoes in 5 Connecticut Towns

What to Know

  • West Nile Virus was detected in mosquitoes in Bridgeport, Easton, New Canaan, Stratford and Waterbury.
  • No human or horse cases have been reported with WNV-associated illnesses in Connecticut this season.
  • Since 2000, 134 human cases of WNV have been diagnosed in Connecticut residents including three fatalities.

West Nile Virus has been detected in mosquitos in five Connecticut towns.

The state department of health issued a news release Tuesday saying that the State Mosquito Management Program is urging Connecticut residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites and mosquito-borne diseases in the wake of detecting West Nile Virus in Bridgeport, Easton, New Canaan, Stratford and Waterbury.

“The current indicators suggest a very active season for WNV. Mosquito populations are building and will continue to do so, especially with the persistence of hot-muggy weather,” Dr. Philip Armstrong, Medical Entomologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, said in a statement. “The surrounding states are also reporting early WNV activity."

A Stratford Public Health Alert says mosquitoes trapped on July 9 at Beacon Point tested positive for West Nile Virus. 

No human or horse cases have been reported with WNV-associated illnesses in Connecticut this season.

Since 2000, 134 human cases of WNV have been diagnosed in Connecticut residents including three fatalities.

To reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes residents should 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; and wear shoes, socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods, or when mosquitoes are most active.

Clothing should be light colored and made of tightly woven materials that keep mosquitoes away from the skin, according to the state department of health.

It also advises using mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in an unscreened structure and to protect small babies when outdoors and to consider the use of mosquito repellent when it is necessary to be outdoors.

For information on West Nile virus and how to prevent mosquito bites, visit the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program Web site at www.ct.gov/mosquito.

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