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9th Mosquito Tests Positive for West Nile Virus; Passaic County Discounts Find; No Human Cases in N.J This Year

Posted on: Tuesday, 20 September 2005, 15:00 CDT

BLOOMINGDALE - A mosquito trapped and tested by Passaic County health officials tested positive for West Nile virus last week, one of nine such infected mosquitoes discovered this year.

Local health officials cautioned that the discovery should not give rise to worry, noting that New Jersey has not recorded any report this year of a human case of West Nile virus. They also said the nine infected insects were discovered among thousands tested from 141 samples taken across the county this summer.

"This is a fairly routine occurrence," said Eric Green, acting superintendent of the Mosquito Control Division of the county's health department. The infected mosquito was trapped near the former Springbrook Acres farm on Union Avenue, he said.

"It's a good time to remind people if they have standing water they should eliminate it, and they should protect themselves when outdoors," by covering exposed skin and using insect repellant, said Peter Correale, who serves as the municipal health officer for five towns: Bloomingdale, Pequannock, Butler, Kinnelon and Little Falls.

The dry summer weather has helped keep the mosquito population relatively small this year, said Green.

His office sprays various sites throughout the county every week, including the Springbrook Acres location, he said. When the spraying season ends - usually in mid-October, after a few morning frosts, said Green - the office will shift to water-management activities, including cleaning out places where still water can collect, allowing mosquitoes to breed.

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E-mail: carroll@northjersey.com

(SIDEBAR, page L03)

Fast facts

*-West Nile virus season peaks in August and September.

*-About 80 percent of infected humans show no symptoms. In minor cases, patients experience swollen lymph nodes, a fever, body aches, nausea or rashes on the chest, stomach or back. In serious cases, they become disoriented and may experience paralysis and suffer permanent neurological damage.

*-In Passaic County this summer, infected mosquitoes were found in:

Bloomingdale

Haledon

Hawthorne

Paterson

Totowa

Source: Centers for Disease Control, Passaic County Department of Health

Source: Record, The; Bergen County, N.J.

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