Four Birds Found In Newtown

With West Nile Virus

By Jan Howard

Newtown Health District Director Donna McCarthy said this week the state currently has identified four birds from Newtown as being infected with the West Nile virus (WNV), a hawk on Meadowbrook Road, a crow on High Rock Road and another on Cold Spring Road, and a blue jay on The Boulevard.

“There have been no mosquitoes with the virus trapped in Newtown,” she said.

Once three positive birds have been identified from a town, the state Department of Health will no longer accept birds, she said. “The reasoning is that they anticipate it’s all around us,” she noted.

She added, however, that residents should continue to call the Health District and report dead birds throughout the summer and fall, but no additional birds should be collected.

Two Connecticut women have been diagnosed with illness attributed to WNV infection. The State Mosquito Management Program announced on September 5 that a woman in her 50s from Bethlehem tested positive for WNV. The patient became ill while traveling outside of Connecticut. She was hospitalized and is currently undergoing rehabilitative therapy.

During the period of possible exposure the patient was traveling in several states including Colorado, where a widespread human outbreak has been ongoing since early July.

Another woman from North Stonington in her 60s was previously diagnosed with illness attributed to WNV infection. She was not hospitalized and is recovering.

New York has reported three human cases, and Long Island reported two. Three cases have been reported in New Jersey and one in Massachusetts.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) on September 3 announced that 46 additional birds tested positive for WNV in Connecticut. The infected birds included 42 crows and four blue jays. Of the 46 infected birds, 23 crows and three blue jays were the first identified in 15 towns. In addition, mosquitoes with WNV were identified in six new towns, including Danbury, Killingworth, New Canaan, Norwalk, Orange, and Southington.

On September 5, 42 WNV-positive birds were reported, including 36 crows and six blue jays. Of the 42 infected birds, nine, eight crows and one blue jay, were the first identified in seven towns.

West Nile virus is considered widespread in Connecticut, according to the DPH. Overall, WNV positive mosquitoes or birds have been found in 72 towns. Mosquito trapping has identified repeated isolations in southern Fairfield County and New Haven County. The DPH strongly urges people to take measures to reduce mosquitoes near their homes and to avoid mosquito bites.

Dr James Hadler, the state epidemiologist with the DPH, said that residents in all areas of Connecticut, particularly people over 50 years old, the most vulnerable age group, should take precautions to minimize exposure to mosquitoes.

These precautions include: minimize time outdoors at dusk and dawn; be sure door and window screens are tight fitting and in good repair; wear shoes, socks, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts. Clothing material should be tightly woven; use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors; consider using mosquito repellent when it is necessary to be outdoors and always use them according to label instructions. When using DEET, the most widely used insect repellent, on children, use a product containing less than ten percent DEET and wash treated skin after returning indoors.

To reduce mosquitoes around the home, dispose of water-holding containers, such as ceramic pots, used tires, and tire swings; drill holes in the bottom of containers, such as those used for recycling; clean clogged roof gutters; turn over objects that may trap water when not in use, such as wading pools and wheelbarrows; clean and chlorinate swimming pools, and when not in use, use pool covers; and use landscaping to eliminate areas where water can collect.

When bitten by a mosquito, most people will have mild symptoms, such as headache and fever, or none at all. It is estimated that approximately one in 150 people infected will develop a severe neurologic disease.

As of September 5, 163 WNV infected birds have been found in 71 towns in all eight counties. The birds include 141 crows, 20 blue jays, one hawk, and one grackle. The birds were found June 30 to August 25.

Testing of wild birds is most important to confirm WNV in new areas. Once WNV is confirmed among wild birds in a town, the percent testing positive increases over several weeks and then 80 to 95 percent of those tested can be expected to be positive through September. Testing additional wild birds from the same town is generally not necessary. Monitoring of WNV activity in birds at that stage can be done primarily through monitoring of dead wild bird reports. Dead wild bird monitoring and testing is being conducted from June to October and is coordinated by the DPH.

As of September 5, mosquito pools trapped in 19 towns have tested positive for WNV. To monitor for diseases spread by mosquitoes statewide, trapping is conducted at 91 fixed sites from June to October by The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES). Mosquito trapping and testing is conducted by the CAES in cooperation with local departments of health.

To date, one horse has been diagnosed with WNV infection. Horses are the domestic animals most susceptible to infection with the virus. Since 2001, a WNV vaccine for horses has been available through licensed veterinarians. The Department of Agriculture investigates potential cases of neurologic disease in domestic animals that may be due to WNV. Testing is conducted at the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Connecticut.

Additional information on West Nile virus and mosquito managements can be obtained at the Department of Public Health website at www.dph.state.ct.us; Department of Environmental Protection at www.dep.state.ct.us or the toll-free recorded mosquito information line 866-968-5463; Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station at www.caes.state.ct.us; Department of Agriculture at www.state.ct.us/doag; and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov.