HARTFORD, Ct. (WWLP) – Connecticut has confirmed its first human case of the West Nile Virus this year.
Health officials said a New Haven County woman between 50 and 59 years old became sick in July. Experts say about 20 percent of people who become infected will have a fever, rash, and muscle aches.
In more serious cases, it can develop into deadly cases of encephalitis or meningitis.
There have not yet been any confirmed human cases of West Nile Virus in Massachusetts this year, although mosquitoes carrying the virus have been detected in several communities, including South Hadley, Holyoke, and Pittsfield.
West Nile virus (WNV) first appeared in the United States in 1999. Since the initial outbreak in New York City, the virus has spread across the U.S. and was identified in birds and mosquitoes in Massachusetts during the summer of 2000.
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