West Nile Virus found in Greenwich

The Town of Greenwich issued a public health alert on Tuesday July 29, with the headline "Mosquitoes test positive for West Nile Virus (WNV) in Greenwich". They found mosquitoes trapped in Mianus River Park in Cos Cob that have tested positive for WNV. These are the first infected. mosquitoes identified this year in Greenwich.

The recent warm weather and periodic rain have increased the ability for mosquitoes to breed. The highest risk of exposure is the months of August and September.

What can you do? Avoid hanging around stagnant or standing water. Wear long sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors, especially at dawn and dusk.

Symptoms of WNV occur suddenly 5-15 days following the bite of an infected mosquito. It starts with slight fever, headache, rash, swollen lymph nodes, nausea, malaise and eye pain and it can cause the rapid onset of severe headache, high fever, stiff neck, disorientation, severe muscle weakness, gastrointestinal symptoms, coma or ……death.

Between the Lines: During 2024, only nine residents in the entire state of Connecticut developed WNV illness. None of the cases were fatal. You are safe to move along now and worry about other things.

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