COURT HOUSE — The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed a laboratory finding of La Crosse virus in a Woodbine mosquito trap collection on July 15.

The county Department of Mosquito Control identified La Crosse virus in its laboratory in mosquitoes collected. Since this is the first known finding of La Crosse virus in New Jersey mosquitoes, the isolate was sent to the CDC for confirmation.

Pete Bosak, superintendent of the Department of Mosquito Control explained that “the Cape May County Department of Mosquito Control started testing for La Crosse virus this summer in collaboration with other counties to determine whether the virus is present in New Jersey.

“La Crosse virus is spread by a woodland mosquito (Aedes triseriatus) and is typically found in the upper Midwestern United States and in the Appalachian region, although is has been found increasingly in the mid-Atlantic states,” he continued.

La Crosse encephalitis is a rare viral disease that usually affects children living in wooded areas and persons having containers of standing water near their residence. Symptoms are usually mild, with fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and tiredness.

Persons with severe disease can have seizures and coma. Symptoms of La Crosse encephalitis appear five-15 days after the bite of an infected mosquito. There are typically 70 human cases of La Crosse encephalitis reported in the United States each year. From 1964-2005 there have been three human cases reported in New Jersey, most recently in 1978.

Since routine testing for La Crosse encephalitis is not performed in this state, the actual presence of the virus in humans or mosquitoes is unknown. Persons concerned about their health should consult their personal physician.

The woodland mosquito that carries La Crosse virus lays its eggs in tree holes and manmade containers, particularly tires, and bites during dawn and dusk. This mosquito is common in every county of the state.

They usually stay within a few hundred yards of the tree hole or tire pile where they are produced. Health Officer Kevin Thomas advises residents to follow standard mosquito prevention measures, including:

Eliminating standing water containers (tires, buckets, cans, clogged gutters) around the home;
When outside, wearing long pants and shirts; and use an insect repellent that contains DEET and follow manufacturer instructions carefully.

Further information on La Crosse encephalitis is available at www.cdc.gov.