West Nile virus has killed one, infected 14 in bad NJ season. How to protect yourself – Asbury Park Press
Heavy rains and flooding have made it a bad year for West Nile virus in New Jersey, with one death and 14 infections reported so far during the peak season for the mosquito-borne disease.
Tests have also found more mosquitoes carrying the virus than in a typical year, the state Health Department said Tuesday.
A Camden County man in his 60s who became infected in mid-July died after the disease invaded his brain and nervous system, the Health Department said.
In all, 14 human cases have been reported: three in Burlington, two each in Bergen and Camden, and one each in Essex, Gloucester, Middlesex, Passaic, Somerset, Ocean and Monmouth counties.
With the peak season for West Nile illness in the state occurring every August and September, officials urged people to protect themselves against mosquito bites. The disease is transmitted by a mosquito that has fed on an infected bird.
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“We are seeing an increase in mosquitoes at present due to the recent flooding from Ida,” said Shawn LaTourette, the commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection. Residents should remove standing water in their yards and cover any empty containers than can hold water for more than three days, he said.
That wheelbarrow behind your shed, a rumpled tarp covering the sandbox, a toy dump truck your child left under the deck, an upturned bottle cap — they all seem harmless enough. But each is an ideal breeding ground for the types of mosquito that can infect people with West Nile virus.
During hot weather, these bugs can go from egg to squirming larva to pupa to flying adult in just five days.
In addition, health officials recommend that people wear insect repellent or long sleeves and pants when outdoors, especially at dawn or dusk; cover cribs, strollers and baby carriers with mosquito netting; and repair holes in screens to keep mosquitoes outside.
Of the 2,600 mosquito species worldwide, 63 species live in New Jersey, and in any one county there are only about a dozen species that tend to bite humans. Only female mosquitoes of any species bite; they need the blood meal for protein so they can lay their eggs.
West Nile is predominantly a bird disease, and the family that includes crows and blue jays are the particular targets, experts say. But certain species of mosquito act as a bridge for the virus to move from birds to humans. Mosquitoes that bite an infected bird can become infected themselves, and if they next bite a human, they can pass the virus along.
What happens if you get West Nile virus?
If a person is bitten and infected with West Nile, symptoms can develop three to 15 days later. About one in 150 people infected with West Nile develops the severe form of the illness, with symptoms of severe headache, high fever, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness and paralysis. Those over age 50 and with weak immune systems are at greater risk of severe disease.
For many, the virus is asymptomatic or causes mild to moderate symptoms, usually a fever.
How likely is it to get West Nile virus?
Eight people in New Jersey are reported infected with West Nile Virus in an average year. Last year, there were three reports of human infection.
Lindy Washburn is a senior health care reporter for NorthJersey.com. To keep up-to-date about how changes in health care affect you and your family, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: washburn@northjersey.com
Twitter: @lindywa