3 More West Nile Virus Cases Emerge In Camden County

CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ — Three people in Camden County have tested positive this week for West Nile Virus.

The county has tallied five cases of the mosquito-borne illness this year — including three announced since Wednesday. The first was detected in late August.

Officials have not disclosed where in the county people caught the virus, or their current conditions. Three New Jersey residents — in Cumberland, Mercer and Middlesex counties — have died from West Nile Virus this year as of Sept. 7, according to the state health department.

The state has reported 16 cases in that timespan.

West Nile Virus is most commonly spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, according to the CDC. Symptoms can include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea or rash.

Only 1 in 5 people infected get a fever or other symptoms. One in 150 develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness, the CDC says.

Cases of West Nile Virus arise during mosquito season, which runs from summer through fall, according to the CDC.

Camden County Commissioner Virginia Betteridge advised residents to take steps to help prevent mosquito bites.

"Although we are transitioning into fall, the threat of mosquito-borne illnesses are still present," said Betteridge, liaison to the county health department, "and residents should take precautions like wearing long sleeved shirts and pants when possible, using bug spray and removing standing water on their property."

The best way to protect yourself, according to county officials, is by using insect repellent — specifically a repellent registered by the Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with any of the following active ingredients:

• DEET
  
• Picaridin (known as KBR 3023 and icaridin outside the US)
• IR3535
• Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE)
• Para-menthane-diol (PMD)
• 2-undecanone

Throughout the summer and fall, the Camden County Mosquito Commission schedules spraying on an as-needed basis, based on public input and the results of surveillance efforts.

In Camden County, West Nile Virus has been detected this year in six mosquito pools (groups of mosquitos) — one of New Jersey's lowest totals, according to the state health department's latest data.

Visit the CDC's webpage for more information about West Nile Virus. For local info, or to report a problem, contact the Camden County Mosquito Commission at 856-566-2945 or skeeters@camdencounty.com.