Community Corner

West Nile Confirmed in Camden County, Officials Say

It's the second case confirmed in South Jersey in the last week.

A 68-year-old man who is currently in the intensive care unit at Cooper University Hospital in Camden is the county’s first confirmed case of West Nile virus in 2013, Camden County officials said.

The man, whose name and hometown have not been released, was admitted to the hospital Aug. 12, after having symptoms for about four days before that, officials said.

Though he was initially diagnosed with encephalitis, his laboratory specimen tested positive for West Nile, and was sent to the Public Health Environmental Laboratories in Trenton, which confirmed the initial test, officials said.

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The victim was moved to intensive care on Aug. 13, and has remained there since, officials said.

“Now that we have the first confirmed case of West Nile in Camden County it is important for residents to be vigilant about dumping any and all standing water on their property,” said Freeholder Jeffrey Nash, liaison to the Camden County Mosquito Commission. “As a community, we need to work together with our neighbors to make sure no one is providing fertile grounds for mosquito breeding.”

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The confirmation come a week after the state’s first case was confirmed in a 55-year-old Burlington County resident, who state officials said was exposed to the virus while gardening.

The virus, which typically shows up between August and October, has been identified in mosquitoes in every county in the state, with the exceptions of Cumberland and Salem, officials said, and residents are warned to use bug spray and stay indoors in the hours around dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.

Eight people have died from West Nile since 2010, according to state records, and 85 people have been sickened in the same period. 2012 was the most active year for the virus, with 48 cases reported and six deaths.

Damage from last year's hurricane season has led to conditions that could bulk up the mosquito population, and state officials asked residents to do what they can to curb the problem.

"Superstorm Sandy has created many new places for mosquitos to breed, including depressions left by fallen trees, and the department is asking residents to take steps to help limit the mosquito population on their properties by removing standing water where mosquitos may breed,” said Mary E. O'Dowd, head of the state Health Department.

Mild to moderate West Nile infections usually resolve within seven to 10 days, officials said, but more severe infections may require hospitalization and supportive treatment.

For more information on West Nile and its prevention, visit the New Jersey Department of Health website.


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