Mosquito Tests Positive For West Nile In Upper Southampton

Add Upper Southampton to the list of Bucks County communities where West Nile has been located this summer.

According to the most recent data released Tuesday, a positive sample of the virus has been located in a mosquito in Upper Southampton. The location of the positive sample was not revealed by state authorities, who release the findings of samples each week day during the summer.

It is one of several Bucks County towns that have had positive samples this season, including Falls, Lower Makefield, Warminster, Bensalem and others. Numerous sprays in Bensalem, Lower Makefield, Falls, and Warminster have been conducted as a result. No human infections have been reported thus far in Bucks County this summer.

While the risk of being infected with West Nile from a mosquito is very low, officials urge residents to take precautions, like using repellent and removing standing water from their property.

West Nile virus appeared for the first time in Pennsylvania in birds, mosquitoes and a horse in 2000.

It is most commonly spread to humans by infected mosquitoes. It can cause febrile illness, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord), according to the CDC.