Second Human Case of West Nile Virus in Greenwich This Season

, the second so far this year, the health department reported Wednesday. It is the seventh human case of the mosquito-borne illness in Connecticut this season.

The individual, aged 60 to 69, became ill in mid-August with flu-like symptoms (fever, headache, etc.), health department officials said in a statement. However unlike the case reported last week, the resident was not hospitalized.

WNV-carrying mosquitoes have so far turned up in traps in Riverside and Old Greenwich, according to the health department. That does not mean, however, that mosquitoes carrying the virus won't turn up in other sections of town as the season progresses.

Residents — especially those over 50 — are advised to take precautions to protect themselves from exposure to mosquitoes. That includes avoiding going outside at dawn and dusk, covering up and using mosquito repellent. It also means eliminating mosquito breeding grounds by removing standing water from gutters, garbage cans and wherever else it might have collected.

Last year, there were nine reported cases of WNV infection in Connecticut. This year cases are showing up early, according to health department officials, because conditions have been ideal for mosquitoes due to the frequent rains.

"Currently, the situation right now is one of a 'perfect storm,'" said Caroline C. Baisley, Greenwich Director of Health. "The weather is still very hot, mosquitoes infected with WNV are still testing positive from the collection site in the Old Greenwich/Riverside area and there are two human cases of WNV in Greenwich."

"In addition, the city of Stamford is reporting two human cases of WNV and positive WNV mosquitoes are being collected from a site near the Old Greenwich/Riverside border," Baisley added. "This condition, as it stands, poses a very high risk to human health for WNV infection."

As a result of the high risk of WNV, the health department is asking residents, civic and community groups to limit their outdoor activities at Town facilities in Old Greenwich and Riverside to daylight hours.

In addition the health department is asking all restaurants in those two sections of town to close their outdoor dining areas, if they have them, prior to sunset, so as to minimize patrons' exposure to mosquitoes.

"All parks, playgrounds, golf courses and other areas (public/private) that support public gatherings and public recreation activities should manage their hours of outdoor operation to include closing ½ hour before dusk and re-open no earlier than ½ hour after sunrise," the release states. "This action will assist in reducing the public’s exposure to WNV."

In addition "all food service establishments that offer outside dining should discontinue this service ½ hour before dusk."

"These restrictions will only be temporary as the environmental conditions within the community will change,” Baisley said. "As the mosquito population declines, so will the WNV infection activity. As a result, the rate of human exposure to the virus will lessen."

Meanwhile the Town continues to use larvicide dunks in public and private roadway catch basins every four to six weeks in order to control the mosquito population.