South Jersey Man Dies After Testing Positive For West Nile Virus

CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ — A Camden County man in his 60s has died after testing positive for West Nile Virus, county officials announced. The Camden man is the first county resident to have died after testing positive for the virus this year.

“West Nile Virus typically affects a small number of New Jersey residents each year, however the prevalence of the virus has been increasing recently,” Camden County Health Officer Dr. Paschal Nwako said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and his family. The Camden County Department of Health is continuing to work with the Mosquito Commission to ensure that additional spraying and testing will be conducted in the area.”

The man, who was not identified, was admitted to a local hospital on July 16 after he began showing symptoms for the virus, officials said.

Following treatment, he was discharged to a local sub-acute care center, where he later died, officials said. Results from lab testing later confirmed that he had West Nile Virus.

West Nile Virus symptoms include, but are not limited to fever, headache, altered mental status, and other neurologic dysfunctions.

While it is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States, four out of five people who are infected do not feel symptoms. One in 50 develop serious illness.

The best way to protect yourself from mosquitoes is to use insect repellent, officials said. Officials recommend Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents with one of the active ingredients below:

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

When used as directed, EPA-registered insect repellents are proven safe and effective, even for pregnant and breastfeeding women, officials said.

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

Removing standing water from your property can help reduce the pest population in your neighborhood and assist the efforts of the commission, officials said.

Camden County announced the latest round of spraying set for early Tuesday morning, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., in the following locations, weather permitting:

Barrington:

• Haines Ave.
• Reading Ave.
• 2nd Ave.
• Lawrence Ave.
• Trenton Ave.
• Barrington Ave.

Haddonfield:

• Wayne Road
• Oakwood Road
• Copley Place
• Copley Road

Bellmawr:

• Kingston Ave.
• S Bell Road
• Patterson Ave.
• Leaf Ave.
• Dobbs Ave.
• Worthman Ave.
• Edgewood Ave.
• 6th Ave.
• 5th Ave.
• 4th Ave.
• 3rd Ave.
• 2nd Ave.
• 1st Ave.
• N cedar
• S bell Road
• Cornelia Drive
• Meyner Drive

Collingswood:

• County Hwy 561
• E Franklin Ave.
• E browning Road
• E Ardmore Terrace
• E Wayne Terrace
• Haddon Twp:
• Wilson Ave.
• New Jersey Ave.
• Pennsylvania Ave.
• Delaware Ave.
• Blenheim Ave.
• Bellevue Ave.
• Marlborough Ave.
• New York Ave.
• Greenridge Ave.
• Ohio Ave.

Oaklyn:

• W Park Ave.
• W Holly Ave.
• Capitol Ave.
• W Cedar Ave.
• Washington Ave.
• Golf Ave.
• Harding Ave.
• Ridgeway Ave.
• Eden Ave.
• Brooklawn:
• Noreg Place
• Nansen Ave.
• Maude Ave.
• S Hannevig Ave.
• S Wilson Ave.
• Bergen Street
• Christiana Street

Gloucester City:

• Lane Ave.
• N Stinson Ave.
• Hunter Street
• Barnard Ave.
• Stites Ave.
• W Thompson Ave.
• Thompson Ave.
• 7th St.
• 6th St.
• Powell St.
• Newton St.
• 8th St.

Camden:

• Farragut Ave.
• N 35th St.
• Farragut Ave.
• N 33rd St.
• Bergen Ave.
• N 32nd St.
• Harrison Ave.
• High St.
• N 29th St.
• Westfield Ave.
• Cramer St.
• High St.
• Saunders St.
• N 27th St.

Pine Hill:

• Mill stream Rd.
• Players Ln.
• Forrester Ave.
• Gristmill Ln.

Berlin:

• Adams Ave.
• Jefferson Court
• Franklin Ave.
• Grand Ave.

The mosquito spray is not harmful to humans or pets, but you should avoid direct contact if you have respiratory concerns or are sensitive to irritants.

For more information about West Nile Virus, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) information webpage here.

For more information, or to report a problem, contact the Camden County Mosquito Commission at 856-566-2945 or skeeters@camdencounty.com.