State officials are warning Connecticut residents about the increased risk of infection as nearly two dozen towns have detected West Nile virus in mosquitoes.
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) said a total of 23 towns in Connecticut have reported mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus.
The virus can be transmitted to humans through mosquito bites. Symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus can be fatal, but most experience mild symptoms. Some can experience serious symptoms, including neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, vision loss, numbness, and paralysis, according to the CDC.
West Nile virus has been detected in these towns: Branford, Bridgeport, Cornwall, Darien, Fairfield, Greenwich, Hartford, Ledyard, Meriden, Milford, New Canaan, New Haven, Newington, Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Wallingford, Waterbury, Waterford, West Haven, Westport, Wilton, Woodstock.
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To reduce the risk of becoming infected, state experts urge people to use mosquito repellant, minimize time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active, and wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts when outside for long periods of time.
"We continue to see high numbers of mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus especially in coastal Fairfield and New Haven counties and in the greater Hartford area," said Dr. Philip Armstrong, medical entomologist at the CAES. "This includes mosquito species that feed readily on humans which increases the risk of infection. Now is the critical time of year when virus activity reaches its peak in the mosquito population."
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So far this year, no humans have tested positive for the virus. Director of CAES Dr. Jason White said August and September are the months when people are at the greatest risk of contracting West Nile virus.
Additional information and resources on how to prevent mosquito bites can be found here.
