The following is a press release from the Connecticut Department of Health.
The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) today is announcing that a Connecticut resident has tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV) infection. This is the first human case of WNV-associated illness identified in Connecticut in the 2020 season.
The patient, who is between 40 – 49 years of age, became ill during the second week of July with West Nile fever, and is recovering. Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of antibodies to WNV. This person lives in Waterbury, but may have been exposed to WNV in the Newington/Wethersfield area.
“The identification of a Connecticut resident with West Nile virus associated illness emphasizes the need to take actions to prevent mosquito bites,” said DPH Acting Commissioner Dr. Diedre S. Gifford. “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 Dr. 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.”
