Danbury and Newtown Residents Test Positive For West Nile Virus

Could 2020 get any worse? With all that has already happened this year, the last thing we need right about now is another viral outbreak.

Now the number of infections are low, but with 2020 being the year from hell, it seems kind of ironic that our area would experience a West Nile outbreak.

According to newstimes.com, the Connecticut Department of Public Health have announced that three human cases have been reported in the state, one in Danbury, one in Newtown, and one in Greenwich. With the three latest cases, that brings the total to just four in the state.

Acting Department of Public Health Commissioner, Dr. Deidre Gifford, had this to say in a news release on Wednesday:

The last days of summer are a nice time of year to be outside and enjoy the weather, but as we do that, I encourage everyone to take actions to prevent mosquito bites. Mosquitoes are most active around the time of sunset and sunrise, and you can get very sick from West Nile Virus or other mosquito-borne illnesses if you are not careful. The risk of West Nile doesn’t end until the first hard frost of fall.

Not to be confused with COVID-19 symptoms, the virus produces fever, headaches, body aches, joint pain, and even a rash, however only one in ten people who contract the virus will exhibit symptoms.

West Nile is nothing new to our area. It has been detected in the state every year since 1999, and is the number one most prevalent mosquito-borne illness in the country. Last year, there were 82 mosquito samples taken from over 20 different Connecticut towns, and only one case was reported, and for the most part the virus is not fatal.

The two local residents in Danbury and Newtown are recovering at home, and the Greenwich resident who developed West Nile encephalitis was hospitalized and is recovering.