West Nile infection sends Clinton resident to hospital

A Clinton resident is hospitalized with West Nile virus infection, the state Mosquito Management Program said today.

The person, between 60 and 69 years old, became ill last week and has been hospitalized with meningitis, with symptoms including fever, severe headache, weakness and fatigue. Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of antibodies to West Nile virus. This is the sixth person in the state this summer with reported West Nile infections. Two other Connecticut residents contracted the virus while traveling out of state.

"West Nile virus can cause serious illness, especially in people over 50," said Dr. J. Robert Galvin, state public health commissioner. "In Connecticut, this is the time of year when the risk of getting sick from West Nile virus is the greatest. West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquitoes, and simple things like wearing long-sleeved shirts, using insect repellant and minimizing time outside at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active can help you reduce your risk of getting this virus."

Thus far this season, West Nile-positive mosquitoes have been identified in 20 towns in the central and western parts of the state.

"Although cooler weather is expected, which should slow virus build-up, we continue to repeatedly identify infected mosquitoes throughout central and southern regions of the state," said Theodore G. Andreadis, chief medical entomologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. "We anticipate that virus activity will continue for several more weeks."

For information, visit www.ct.gov/mosquito or call (866) 968-5463.