Connecticut residents urged to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                              Connecticut Department of Public Health

August 16, 2012                                                         Contact: William Gerrish

                                                                                    (860) 509-7270

                                                                                    Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

                                                                                    Contact: Dr. Theodore Andreadis

                                                                                    (203) 974-8510

Hartford – The State Mosquito Management Program today announced that a New Haven resident tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV) infection. This is the first case of human illness associated with WNV infection reported in Connecticut this year.

The person, between 30-39 years of age, had onset of illness during the first week of August and was hospitalized the following week with meningitis related to the WNV infection. Symptoms included headache, stiff neck, nausea, and muscle weakness. The person has been discharged from the hospital and is recovering. Infected mosquitoes have been repeatedly trapped in New Haven and surrounding communities from July 12 through August 8.

“August and early September is the time of the year when people are at greatest risk of illness associated with West Nile virus infections,” said Dr. Randall Nelson, State Public Health Veterinarian with the Department of Public Health. “DPH urges everyone to take the warnings of the risk of mosquito-transmitted illness seriously and take precautions to prevent mosquito bites.”

From June 27 to August 8 the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) has identified WNV positive mosquitoes in 40 towns: Bethel, Bridgeport, Cheshire, Chester, Danbury, Darien, East Haven, Fairfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Greenwich, Groton, Hamden, Hartford, Killingworth, Meriden, Milford, Monroe, New Britain, New Canaan, New Haven, Newington, Newtown, North Branford, North Haven, Norwalk, Old Lyme, Shelton, South Windsor, Southington, Stamford, Stratford, Wallingford, Waterbury, West Hartford, West Haven, Westbrook, Westport, Wethersfield, and Wilton. Mosquitoes positive for eastern equine encephalitis were trapped in Chester on August 8.

Monitoring and risk assessment for WNV emphasizes mosquito trapping and testing results. The CAES maintains a network of 91 mosquito-trapping stations in 72 municipalities throughout the state. Mosquito traps are set Monday – Thursday nights at each site every ten days on a rotating basis. Mosquitoes are grouped (pooled) for testing according to species, collection site, and date.  Each pool is tested for the presence of viruses of public health importance. Positive findings are reported to local health departments and on the CAES web site at www.ct.gov/caes.

For information on West Nile virus and what you can do to prevent getting bitten by mosquitoes, visit the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program Web site at www.ct.gov/mosquito.

###