Greenfield Woman May Have Died Because of West Nile Virus

A recent death of an elderly Greenfield woman may have been due to the West Nile Virus, the Greenfield Health Department said in a press release Friday.

Official confirmation linking this death, and another in the area, is pending further testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Health Department did not identify the woman or say when she died; the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported the woman was 78 years old.

West Nile Virus is spread to people by the bite of a mosquito infected with the virus. In Wisconsin, West Nile virus infections generally occur during warm weather months when mosquitoes are active. Anyone can get infected with West Nile virus. Persons older than 50 year are at an increased risk of severe disease from the virus.

According to the Health Department, symptoms of West Nile typically occur 3 to 14 days after a West Nile virus infected mosquito bites a person. Approximately 80 percent of people infected with West Nile virus do not become ill. Most of the remaining 20 percent of infected people may experience a mild illness that can present with fever, headache, eye pain, muscle aches, joint pain, a rash on the trunk, swollen lymph nodes, nausea and vomiting. Less than 1 percent of people infected with West Nile virus will become severely ill. Symptoms of severe illness include extreme muscle weakness, inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), paralysis, and coma. In rare cases the infection may be fatal, particularly in the elderly and people with other medical conditions.

Preventing mosquito bites will prevent West Nile virus infection. To decrease exposure to mosquitoes and the viruses they may carry; personal protective measures include:

• Limit the time spent outdoors at dawn and dusk during mosquito season (June to September) or other times mosquitoes are active
• Wear shoes, socks, long sleeve shirts and long pants when outdoors
• Apply insect repellents containing an EPA-registered ingredient, such as DEET to exposed skin when outdoors
• Spray clothing with insect repellents since mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing
• Make sure window and door screens are in good repair to prevent mosquito entry
• Eliminate or reduce mosquito breeding sites and sources of standing water on your own property