West Nile Virus Suspected –

Town Awaits Word On Cause Of Horse’s Death

By Steve Bigham

Town officials met Wednesday morning to discuss the apparent arrival of the West Nile Virus in Newtown. The news of a local veterinarian having to euthanize a Newtown horse last week raised the level of concern on horse farms around town.

Test results from the horse were still pending at press time, so the severity of Newtown’s problem remains unknown. It is known, however, that the mosquito-borne West Nile Virus is all around Newtown and, according to Health District Director Mark Cooper, is here to stay. And not just until the impending first frost – it is here for years to come.

The good news is that none of the 15 or so dead crows found in Newtown have tested positive for the virus and mosquitoes collected in Newtown have so far not been found to carry the West Nile Virus. But it was clear the death of a horse had officials concerned, despite their attempts to say that the “emergency meeting” tag on this week’s Health District agenda was simply a formality.

“This is not an emergency meeting in the sense that we are reacting to a particular incident. We are hoping the mosquito season will end shortly. We’re here to determine how to react should we have to,” Mr Cooper said. “So far, every bird has come back negative. Hopefully the horse will, too.”

According to Mr Cooper, Dr Ned Schankman of the Connecticut Equine Practice in Newtown was forced to put down the horse September 21 after it showed signs of progressive neurological deterioration and loss of balance. The horse had been boarded in Newtown, although the exact location has not been disclosed. Test results are due back from the state lab next week.

This week’s meeting provided an opportunity for First Selectman Herb Rosenthal and health officials to discuss their options if and when the results come back positive. The possibility that the horse died from the West Nile Virus is of particular concern since the same mosquito that bites horses also bites humans, Mr Cooper said.

If tests results do come back positive, Mr Cooper said Newtown would be classified as a Level 2 town, which usually prompts the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to recommend spraying. Level 2 is a more severe level than Level 1, which is given to those towns that have dead birds test positive for the virus.

“We’re not even at Level 1 so we’re not reacting to anything. We’re just being pro-active,” Mr Cooper said.

Cindy Miller of the Newtown Bridle Lands Association (NBLA) informed officials that the horse that died in Newtown had been traveling to different events throughout the state before becoming sick. The horse may have been bitten elsewhere, she said.

“The horse may have been traveling 50 miles away. You can’t tell,” said Mrs Miller, who admitted Newtown’s horse community is in a bit of a “panic.”

Earlier this week, town highway crews traveled the streets of town dropping donut-shaped larvicide into catch basins in an effort to stop the spread of mosquitoes. It was the second such preventative measure taken by the town this year, and it appears to be working.

According to Mr Cooper, catch basins along roadways are notorious breeding areas for mosquitoes. Also, the catch basins are connected to most of the local brooks, streams, and ponds. The hope is that the larvicide will spread to these areas as well.

Unlike the sprays used in lower Fairfield County and Westchester County, the donut-shaped larvicide is non-chemical. According to Mr Cooper, the donuts are made up of a natural bacteria, which, when dissolved, are eaten by mosquito larvae. In time, the bacteria succeed in breaking down the larvae’s intestinal wall, killing it.

“I believe it has reduced the mosquito population,” noted Health District Commission Chairman Jim Smith, who emphasized the need to keep the public informed.

Town officials say they hope spraying will not have to occur in Newtown. If it does, however, they need to know how effective it has been in Danbury and Bethel, where spraying of insecticides was done earlier this month. Also, noted Mrs Miller, those towns are more densely populated than Newtown.

“My driveway is 1,000 feet long,” she said, pointing out that the spray only reaches areas 200 feet or less off the road.

Mr Rosenthal suggested a public meeting to get a sense of how residents feel about spraying, not necessarily for this year, but for years to come when the West Nile Virus returns.

Superintendent of Schools John R. Reed was present at this week’s meeting and said the schools would be willing to do their part to educate the public. He offered the Health District the use of Newtown High School’s Channel 17 to broadcast information.

“The question I guess is ‘at what point does the danger become large enough that people are going to alter their lifestyle?’” Dr Reed wondered.

Town officials and residents are hoping they won’t have to find out.

 Last year, traces of the West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis were discovered for the first time in the Western Hemisphere in and around New York City where six people died during the late summer months. It was also found in two species of mosquitoes trapped in Greenwich and in the brain tissue of many crows in coastal Connecticut from Greenwich to Madison.

The West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne viral infection that can cause inflammation of the brain. It is named after the West Nile district of Uganda where the virus was first isolated in 1937. The elderly are most susceptible to this virus. West Nile is spread to humans by the bite of infected mosquitoes. A mosquito is infected by biting a bird that carries the virus.

(The larvicide known as BTI can be purchased at local hardware stores and can be used in ponds or other bodies of water. They are designed to kill mosquito larvae and are not harmful to any other wildlife, according to health officials.)