West Nile Virus Found In Springfield Mosquito Sample

SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, PA — After a quiet start to the summer, West Nile Virus has been found in dozens of samples across Montgomery County, including in Springfield Township.

The most recent round of testing, published by the Pennsylvania Department of Health late Wednesday, found 98 positive samples around the state.

Of those 98, 14 were found in Montgomery County. The following communities had a positive test:

• Abington
• Collegeville
• Lower Salford
• Norristown
• Springfield
• Upper Merion
• Upper Providence
• Whitemarsh (2)
• Whitpain (2)
• Worcester

Until last week, there had only been a small handful of positive tests in Montgomery County this year. This is in stark contrast to 2017, when the months of May and June were filled with local positive tests.

However, 2018 seems to be catching up, as test results from the last several days have tracked dozens of positive samples around the county.

It's not yet clear if these findings will lead to chemical sprayings in local communities. Such sprayings have been commonplace over the past several summers as a way to target mosquito breeding grounds and limit populations.

Samples also tested positive nearby on Wednesday in Philadelphia (14), Bucks (3), Delaware (1), and Chester (2) counties.

The risk of being infected with West Nile from a mosquito is very low, officials said, but residents are still urged to take simple precautions, like using repellent and removing standing water from their property.

West Nile Virus typically causes fever but can lead to neurological illness in extremely rare cases.

For more details on what residents can do to limit mosquito populations and protect themselves from the virus, see here.

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