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On Friday, Aug. 16, the Connecticut Department of Public Health announced that a New Haven County resident had tested positive for the virus.
A woman between 60–69 became ill during the first week of August with a WNV infection and has since recovered, the department said.
“Symptoms include fever, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, rash, or gastrointestinal symptoms for non-neuroinvasive disease, while neuroinvasive signs and symptoms can include high fever, headache, stiff neck, and decreased consciousness," said DPH Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani.
Philip Armstrong, a medical entomologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, which tracks the number of cases, said they continue to see a high number of the virus in trapped and tested mosquitoes.
"This is the critical time of summer when virus activity peaks in the mosquito population,” he added.
Most people infected with the virus do not develop symptoms. About one in five infected people develop West Nile fever, which includes a fever and other symptoms such as body aches, joint pain, headache, or a rash.
About one out of 150 infected people develop a severe illness affecting the central nervous system. About one out of 10 cases of severe illness are fatal. People over the age of 60 are at highest risk of serious illness.
Officials are asking residents to check their homes for standing water to eliminate the number of mosquitoes and clean out clogged gutters.
They also remind those who plan to spend a lot of time outdoors at dawn and dust to wear long sleeves, pants, and tightly woven socks.
If you begin to feel ill, be checked by a doctor.
To learn more about the virus, click here.
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