1st Cases Of West Nile Virus Infection Discovered This Year In CT

CONNECTICUT — The state Department of Public Health announced that two Connecticut residents have tested positive for West Nile virus infection. These two cases of WNV-associated illness, announced Tuesday, are the first to be identified in Connecticut this season.

The patients are between 70-79 years of age and became ill during the third week of August with meningitis and meningoencephalitis. Both are hospitalized and recovering. Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of antibodies to WNV. The patients are residents of West Haven and Bridgeport.

Philip Armstrong, medical entomologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, said the conditions in the state are keenly primed for WNV transmission.

"These mosquitoes are most abundant in urban and suburban areas with dense human populations," Armstrong said. "We anticipate continued risk for human infection until mosquito activity subsides in October."

West Nile virus has been detected in Connecticut every year since 1999 and is the most prevalent mosquito-borne disease in the US. Last year, CAES detected WNV in 143 mosquito samples from 23 towns and eight human cases were reported. Before 2021, 166 cases of West Nile virus were reported in Connecticut, of which four were fatal.

Eight out of 10 people infected with WNV do not develop symptoms. About one in five people who are infected develop West Nile fever, an illness which includes a fever and other symptoms such as body aches, joint pain, headache, or a rash. About one out of 150 infected people develop a severe illness affecting the central nervous system. About one out of 10 cases of severe illness are fatal. People over the age of 60 are at highest risk of serious illness.

"The identification of two Connecticut residents with West Nile virus-associated illness requiring hospitalization emphasizes the potential seriousness of this infection," said Dr. Deidre Gifford, senior advisor to the governor for Health and Human Services, and acting commissioner of the Department of Public Health.

How To Beat The Bugs

CAES provides these guidelines for residents trying to keep a step ahead of the mosquitoes.

Tips for reducing mosquitoes around homes:

• Eliminate standing water suitable for mosquitoes. Dispose of water-holding containers, such as ceramic pots, used tires, and tire swings.
• Drill holes in the bottom of containers such as those used for recycling.
• Clean clogged roof gutters.
• Turn over objects that may trap water when not in use, such as wading pools and wheelbarrows.
• Change water in bird baths on a weekly basis.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools. When pools are not in use, use pool covers and drain when necessary.

Tips for avoiding mosquito bites when outdoors:

• Mosquitoes require a blood meal for reproduction. The following are measures that can help reduce bites from mosquitoes that feed on people:
• Minimize outdoor activities at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
• Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts. Clothing material should be tightly woven and loose fitting.
• Use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors.
• Consider the use of CDC-recommended mosquito repellents, containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, IR3535, or 2-undecanone, and apply according to directions, when it is necessary to be outdoors.
• When using DEET, use the lowest concentration effective for the time spent outdoors (for example, 6 percent lasts approximately two hours and 20 percent for four hours) and wash treated skin when returning indoors. Do not apply under clothing, to wounds or irritated skin, the hands of children, or to infants less than two months old.
• Be sure door and window screens are tight-fitting and in good repair to avoid mosquito bites when indoors.

For more information on West Nile virus and how to prevent mosquito bites, visit the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program website.