August 04, 2015
Camden County reported its first case of West Nile Virus on Tuesday.
A 60-year-old man from Bellmawr was admitted to Kennedy Health Systems on July 12 from symptoms that had popped up at the end of June. Those symptoms turned out to be from the mosquito-spread disease. He was released from the hospital on July 17, according to a press release from the county.
“The Camden County Health Department encourages you to use insect repellent and take extra precautions if you are outside during peak biting hours,” said Freeholder Camden Rodriguez, liaison to the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services. “While the chance of becoming ill is relatively small, there are things you can do to protect yourself and your family.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been a total of 38 human cases of West Nile Virus around the country so far this year, including a single death in California.
The CDC data, which the agency said was current as of July 28, did not list any cases for New Jersey or Pennsylvania.
While most people who develop West Nile don’t have symptoms, those who do will often have headaches, joint pain, vomiting or diarrhea. Less than 1 percent of those who get West Nile may suffer from a neurological disease like encephalitis or meningitis, and 10 percent of this group die, according to the CDC.
“Our county mosquito commission works with the Public Health Environmental Laboratories in Trenton to verify the presence of West Nile Virus in their samples,” Freeholder Jeffrey Nash, liaison to the Camden County Mosquito Commission, said in a statement. “When a pool tests positive for West Nile Virus, the mosquito commission returns within 24 hours to spray the area.”
Stagnant water is a ripe spot for mosquitoes to breed, and residents are advised to check their property to make sure there are no standing pools that can act as breeding grounds.
