First cases of West Nile virus infection discovered in CT this year

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

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

Philip Armstrong, a medical entomologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experimental Station, said conditions in the state are ideal for transmission of WNV.

“These mosquitoes are most abundant in urban and suburban areas with dense human populations,” Armstrong said. “We anticipate a continued risk of human infection until mosquito activity declines in October.”

West Nile virus has been detected in Connecticut every year since 1999 and is the most common mosquito-borne disease in the United States. Last year, CAES detected WNV in 143 mosquito samples from 23 cities and eight human cases were reported. Before 2021, 166 cases of West Nile virus were reported in Connecticut, including four fatalities.

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

“Identification of two Connecticut residents with West Nile virus-associated illness requiring hospitalization highlights the potential severity of this infection,” said Dr Deidre Gifford, the governor’s senior health adviser and social services and interim commissioner of the Ministry of Health. Health.

How to beat insects

CAES provides these guidelines to residents trying to stay ahead of mosquitoes.

Tips for reducing mosquitoes around homes:

• Eliminates stagnant water suitable for mosquitoes. Throw away any containers with water, such as ceramic pots, used tires, and tire swings.
• Drill holes in the bottom of containers such as those used for recycling.
• Clean clogged gutters.
• Turn over items that can trap water when not in use, such as wading pools and wheelbarrows.
• Change the water in birdbaths weekly.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools. When swimming pools are not in use, use pool covers and drain if necessary.

Tips for avoiding mosquito bites outdoors:

• Mosquitoes need a blood meal to reproduce. The following measures can help reduce bites from mosquitoes that feed on humans:
• Minimize outdoor activities at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
• Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts. Clothing should be tightly woven and loose.
• Use a mosquito net when sleeping outside.
• Consider using CDC-recommended mosquito repellents that contain DEET, picaridin, lemon eucalyptus oil, IR3535, or 2-undecanone, and apply as directed, when it is necessary to be outside.
• When using DEET, use the lowest effective concentration for time spent outdoors (for example, 6 percent lasts about two hours and 20 percent for four hours) and wash the treated skin when you return home. inside. Do not apply under clothing, on wounds or irritated skin, on the hands of children or infants under two months of age.
• Make sure the screens on doors and windows are properly fitted and in good condition to prevent mosquito bites inside.

For more information on West Nile virus and mosquito bite prevention, visit the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program website.