Community Corner

Stamford Resident Treated for West Nile Virus

An unidentified resident of Stamford has been confirmed as the being the West Nile Virus patient this season.

An unidentified, elderly resident of Stamford has tested positive and has been treated for the West Nile Virus, according to the Connecticut Department of Health and the office of Mayor Michael Pavia.

The infected indivdual, the first case of WNV this summer, has already been released from an undisclosed medical facility.

“Individuals over the age of 50 are at greatest risk for complications of West Nile Virus infection," Director of Health and Social Services for the City of Stamford Anne Fountain said in a press release.

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According the the CT Dept. of Health, the first case of West Nile Virus originated in Greenwich during 1999 and spread across the east coast, reaching states such as New Jersey and Maryland. The primary source of the disease in 1999 was from dead birds, and as of 2011, the primary disease source are mosquitoes.

"The City of Stamford is actively responding with its Larvicide Program, placing larvicide in catch basins throughout Stamford," the mayor's office stated.

Find out what's happening in Stamfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

WNV is considered to be troublesome largely because of the difficulty in spotting its symptoms, which include fever, headaches, and bodyaches.

"Most people who are infected with WNV will not show any symptoms at all," the mayor's office reports.

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station maintains 91 mosquito trap sites in 73 towns statewide, according to the Department of Public Health.

The Dept. of Health recommends water conservation and the usage of mosquito repellent to ward off mosquitoes and other disease-carrying insects.


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