Please note: The Department of Health Services learned today that one sample that had tested positive for West Nile virus was taken from Blydenburgh County Park in Smithtown and NOT from Southampton, as reported below. To date, there have been NO samples taken from Southampton that have tested positive for West Nile virus.

Hauppauge, NY – Suffolk Health Commissioner James Tomarken and Parks Commissioner Greg Dawson have taken the precautionary measure of closing Blydenburgh County Park to nighttime activities following the news that a mosquito sample has tested positive for West Nile virus. The park will be closed from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. and all activities during those hours will be suspended. The Department of Health Services will continue mosquito surveillance at the park and will work closely with the Parks Department to determine if and when nighttime activities may resume.

Weather permitting; the Suffolk County Department of Public Works is planning to treat sections of the following communities as part of their ongoing annual efforts to control adult mosquitoes.

Hauppauge, NY – Suffolk County Health Services (SCDHS) Commissioner James L. Tomarken announced that five additional mosquito samples from Suffolk County have tested positive for West Nile virus. The samples were collected on July 10^th in Holbrook, South Huntington, Northport, and Farmingville (2).

James L. Tomarken, MD, MPH, MBA, MSW, Commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, said today that Asharoken Beach and Steers Beach in Northport are closed to bathing due to the finding of bacterial levels in excess of acceptable criteria.