| West Nile virus alert! The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station has detected the virus in mosquitoes in New Haven and four other Connecticut towns, signaling “a major expansion of West Nile virus activity in the state,” said Dr. Philip Armstrong, medical entomologist. In June, it was found in Milford and South Windsor.
West Nile was first detected in Connecticut in 2000; historically, the first person to die of West Nile in Connecticut was a resident of the West River neighborhood. It has a 10% fatality rate and can cause other serious illness, including encephalitis or meningitis and it is more common in New Haven County.
For your protection:
- Minimize time outdoors between dusk and dawn
- Check your surroundings to remove standing water where mosquitoes breed in hot weather
- Be sure door and window screens are tight-fitting and in good repair
- Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time
- Use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors
- Consider the use of an EPA-approved mosquito repellent and apply accordingly
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