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STAMFORD, Conn. A Stamford resident has tested positive for West Nile virus, the states Department of Public Health said in a statement. It is the first human case reported this season.
The person has been identified as a 60- to 69-year-old person, who has been hospitalized to receive treatment for encephalitis. The person has since been discharged, the statement said.
Individuals over the age of 50 are at greatest risk for complications of West Nile virus infection, but individuals of any age should take precautions regarding exposure to West Nile virus, Anne Fountain, Stamfords director of health and social services, said in a statement.
The city is responding with its larvicide program. Larvicides are pesticides designed to kill mosquito larva, the Environmental Protection Agencys website said. Larvicide is a proven method of decreasing the numbers of mosquitoes in the community, Fountain said.
Last month, the state confirmed that mosquitoes in Stamford, Greenwich, Bridgeport and Orange had tested positive for the virus. It is mostly found in urban and suburban areas, said Dr. Theodore Andreadis, chief medical entomologist for the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.
Since 1999, when the virus was first found in the Connecticut, Fairfield County has had the most reported human cases with 41, the state said. Ten human cases have been reported in Stamford, the most in the state, the states website said.
What precautions do you take to keep mosquitoes away? Do they work? Share your tips and methods below or send them to reporter Anthony Buzzeo, tbuzzeo@TheDailyStamford.com.
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