West Nile Virus Found in Weston and Wilton

State health department officials have announced that mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus have been found in 14 communities, including Weston and Wilton.

Until Tuesday, the virus had been detected only in Stamford and Stratford.

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and the state Department of Public Health released the latest findings.

"With continued warm weather we should anticipate additional positive mosquitoes in these and other areas of the state," said Theodore Andreadis, chief medical entomologist for the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven.

Last year only one person in Connecticut developed West Nile virus, and public health authorities believe he contracted it out of state.

West Nile poses little risk to most healthy adults but it can present a deadly threat to the elderly, the very young or those who are already sick or have weakened immune systems.

The 14 towns where mosquitoes tested positive are Bethel, Cheshire, Franklin, Greenwich, Meriden and Milford. Also Danbury, Newtown, Plainfield, Stamford, Westbrook, Weston, Wilton and Windham.

Posted August 17, 2005 12:14 PM