Gloucester Township Resident Tests Positive For West Nile Virus

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — A Gloucester Township resident has tested positive for West Nile Virus, Camden County officials announced on Wednesday.

The resident was recently admitted to a local hospital after displaying West Nile Virus symptoms, according to officials. That resident subsequently tested positive for the virus.

“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 Commissioner Carmen Rodriguez, liaison to the Health Department, said. “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.”

West Nile Virus symptoms include, but are not limited to, fever, headache, altered mental status, and other neurologic dysfunctions. West Nile Virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States, though 4 out of 5 people who are infected do not feel symptoms. Only 1 in 50 develop serious illness, according to officials.

Officials advise that the best way residents can protect themselves from mosquitos is to use insect repellent. Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents with one of the active ingredients below. When used as directed, EPA-registered insect repellents are proven safe and effective, even for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

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

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. The simple act of removing standing water from your property can help reduce the pest population in your neighborhood and assist the efforts of the commission.

For more information about West Nile Virus, visit the CDC’s 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.