NJ mosquito threat not over yet: 2 now dead from virus

❗ Six more cases of West Nile Virus in humans found in NJ

❗ Two deaths linked to virus

❗ Health officials urge precautions

The New Jersey Health Department has reported six more cases of West Nile Virus in humans, including two deaths.

This follows the state’s first human case of eastern equine encephalitis and two earlier cases of West Nile.

The new cases

The six new WNV cases are residents of Bergen, Camden, Cumberland, Hudson, Mercer, and Middlesex counties, ranging in ages from over 50 to over 80.

The two individuals who died from the infection were older adults from Cumberland and Mercer counties, the Health Department reported.

Earlier this year, two human cases of WNV were reported in Middlesex and Union counties.

Seven out of the eight cases were hospitalized with neuroinvasive disease, including encephalitis (swelling of the brain), or meningitis (swelling of the lining surrounding the brain and spinal cord).

The state health department also found that during routine testing of blood donations, three asymptomatic blood donors from Bergen, Passaic, and Somerset counties were found to be WNV positive.

WNV is a virus that most people acquire through a mosquito bite.

One human case of EEE was reported in Atlantic County when symptoms began to show in July. That individual under 18 years old was hospitalized but has since been discharged.

An EEE positive horse was also reported in Atlantic County earlier this month.

Protect Yourself

The New Jersey Department of Health and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection are urging residents to take precautions to protect themselves from mosquito-borne diseases and to reduce mosquito populations on their properties.

Use insect repellent, wear protective clothing, and avoid being outside during dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active. Wear long sleeves and long pants when possible, cover cribs and strollers with mosquito netting, and repair holes in screen doors to keep mosquitoes outside. Always empty outdoor standing water receptacles so mosquitoes stop breeding. That includes water bowls, birdbaths, swimming pool covers, plastic wading pools, clogged rain gutters, wheelbarrows, and flower pots.

West Nile Virus Symptoms

The good news is that most people infected with WNV or EEE have no symptoms. But, for those who do, they could experience things like fever, chills, body aches, and joint pains. Symptoms of severe illness include fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, limb weakness, and fatigue.

Older people and those with weakened immune systems are at a greater risk of developing severe illness.

September marks the 25th anniversary of the emergence of the West Nile virus in the U.S., and New Jersey had its first human case in 2000, according to the NJ DEP.

Last year, New Jersey had 14 human cases of WNV and one death.

This year, WNV has been detected in 702 mosquito pools, which is higher than average and has been found in almost every New Jersey county, state health officials said.

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