Crow Tests Positive

For West Nile Virus

By Steve Bigham

Add Newtown to the list of Connecticut towns to have a dead crow test positive for the West Nile Virus. The crow was found lying along the side of Great Hill Road last month.

The positive results came back last Friday morning, a day or two after the area was hit with a light frost, which helped decrease the mosquito population. Therefore, despite the positive test results, health officials have decided not to take any drastic measures.

“The risk at this point is diminishing every day,” noted Health District Director Mark Cooper, although he declined to say that Newtown is out of the woods. “Residents still need to take precautions until we get that first hard, hard frost.”

Meanwhile, health officials this week were still awaiting test results on a horse that had to be euthanized by a local veterinarian after showing signs of progressive neurological deterioration and loss of balance. These symptoms were similar to those brought on by the West Nile Virus, striking fear into not only local horse owners, but all residents. The same mosquito that bites horses also bites humans.

At press time Thursday morning, however, test results had not come back. Fortunately, the first significant frost is just around the corner.

Last 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.

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.