The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced that a resident of Fairfield and a resident of Newington have tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV) infection.
These are the first two human cases of WNV-associated illness identified in Connecticut this season.
The announcement came three days after it was disclosed that WNV had been found in a mosquito in Westport. (See WestportNow Aug. 7, 2018)
The patients, who are between 60-79 years of age, became ill during the last week of July with encephalitis, were hospitalized, and are recovering, a news release said.
One remains hospitalized. Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of antibodies to WNV. These persons did not travel out of the state before becoming ill.
“The identification of two Connecticut residents with West Nile virus associated illness that required hospitalization underscores the potential seriousness of infection,” said DPH Commissioner Raul Pino.
“Using insect repellent, covering bare skin and avoiding being outdoors during the hours of dusk and dawn are effective ways to help keep you from being bitten by mosquitoes.”
“We continue to have weather conditions that are favorable for the mosquitoes that transmit West Nile virus,” said Philip Armstrong, medical entomologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment station (CAES).
“These mosquitoes are most abundant in urban and suburban areas with dense human populations.”
West Nile virus has been detected in the state every year since 1999. Before 2018, 134 human cases of WNV were diagnosed in Connecticut residents including three fatalities.
Last year, three Connecticut residents were diagnosed with WNV infection. For more information on WNV human cases in CT, click HERE.
Most people (8 out of 10) infected with WNV do not develop symptoms. About one in five who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms. About one out of 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness, according to the CAES.
