Residents are advised to eliminate standing water in
and around homes
Suffolk County Health
Commissioner Dr. James Tomarken announced today that eleven new mosquito samples
have tested positive for West Nile virus. The samples, all Culex
pipiens-restuans, were collected from Melville (1), West Babylon (1), Stony
Brook (1), Setauket (1), Selden (1), Farmingville (1), and Port Jefferson
Station (2), on July 18th, and Huntington (2) and South Huntington
(1), on July 19th.
To date, the county has confirmed
22 cases of West Nile virus in mosquitoes.
There are two positive birds to
date, one in Nesconset and one in Hauppauge.
West Nile
virus, first detected in birds and mosquito samples
in Suffolk County in 1999 and again each year thereafter, is transmitted
to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. No humans or horses have tested
positive for West Nile virus in Suffolk this year.
“The confirmation of West Nile
virus in mosquito samples or birds indicates the presence of West Nile virus in
the area,” said Dr. Tomarken. “While there is no cause for alarm, we advise
residents to cooperate with us in our efforts to reduce the exposure to the
virus, which can be debilitating to humans.”
According to Dr. Tomarken, most
people infected with West Nile virus will experience mild or no symptoms, but
some can develop severe symptoms including high fever, headache, neck
stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness,
vision loss, numbness and paralysis. The symptoms may last several weeks, and
neurological effects may be permanent. Individuals, especially those 50 years
of age or older, or those with compromised immune systems, who are most at
risk, are urged to take precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
To avoid mosquito bites,
residents are advised to:
- Minimize outdoor activities between dusk and dawn.
- Wear shoes and socks, long pants and long-sleeved
shirts when mosquitoes are active.
- Use mosquito repellent, following label directions
carefully.
- Make sure all windows and doors have screens, and
that all screens are in good repair.
- Keep
mosquitoes from laying eggs inside and outside of your home. Once a
week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out containers that
hold water, such as vases, pet water bowls, flowerpot saucers, discarded
tires, buckets, pool covers, birdbaths, trash cans and rain barrels.
- Download
a copy of Suffolk County’s informational brochure “Get the Buzz on
Mosquito Protection,” available in English
and Spanish,
and share it with your community.
Dead birds may indicate
the presence of West Nile virus in the area. To report dead birds, call the
Public Health Information Line in Suffolk County at 631-787-2200 from 9
a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Residents are encouraged to
take a photograph of any bird in question.
To report mosquito problems or
stagnant pools of water, call the Department of Public Works’ Vector Control
Division at 631-852-4270.
For further information on
West Nile virus, visit the Department of Health Services’ website at http://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/HealthServices/PublicHealth/PreventiveServices/ArthropodborneDiseaseProgram/Mosquitoes.aspx
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