First Human West Nile Virus Infection of 2012
The person a New Haven resident between 30 and 39 years old.
Thursday, Aug 16, 2012 | Updated 5:37 PM EDT
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A New Haven resident is the first human case of West Nile virus infection in Connecticut this year.
The person is between 30 and 39, became ill during the first week of August and was hospitalized the following week with meningitis related to the infection, according to the
Connecticut Department of Public Health.
The person has been discharged from the hospital and is recovering, health officials said.
Symptoms of illness from West Nile virus included headache, stiff neck, nausea and muscle weakness.
The City of New Haven Health Department posted tips on protecting yourself on its Web site.
“August and early September is the time of the year when people are at greatest risk of illness associated with West Nile virus infections,” Dr. Randall Nelson, State Public Health Veterinarian with the Department of Public Health, said in a news release. “DPH urges everyone to take the warnings of the risk of mosquito-transmitted illness seriously and take precautions to prevent mosquito bites.”
Infected mosquitoes have been repeatedly trapped in New Haven and surrounding communities from July 12 through Aug. 8.
From June 27 to Aug. 8 the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station 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 Aug. 8.
Between 2000 and 2011, there were 89 human cases in the state and three were fatal.
