Residents are advised to eliminate standing water in
and around homes
Suffolk County Health
Commissioner Dr. James Tomarken announced today that four new mosquito samples
have tested positive for West Nile virus. Three of the samples, collected on September 12 from West Babylon (1) and Bridgehampton
(1) and on September 13 from Huntington Station (1), were of the Culex pipiens-restuans species.
One mosquito sample of the Culex
salinarius species was collected on September 12 from Islip (1). No
mosquito samples tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis this week.
To date, 116
mosquito samples have tested positive for West Nile virus and four samples have
tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEE). No horses have
tested positive for mosquito-borne illness in Suffolk County to date this year.
Three Suffolk County residents are confirmed as positive for
West Nile virus. The number of human cases of West Nile virus varies each year.
Suffolk County reported five human cases in both 2015 and 2016, one case in
2014, and four cases in both 2011 and 2013. Comparatively, the county reported
14 human cases in 2012 and 25 in 2010, the year in which the virus claimed
three lives. No lives have been lost due to West Nile virus since 2010. Prior
to 2010, the virus claimed two lives in Suffolk County in both 2002 and 2003.
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. West
Nile virus may cause a range of symptoms, from mild to severe. Symptoms may
include fever, headache, vomiting, muscle aches, joint pain, and fatigue. There
is no specific treatment for West Nile virus. Patients are treated with
supportive therapy as needed.
“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.”
West Nile virus may cause a
range of symptoms, from mild to severe. Symptoms may include fever, headache,
vomiting, muscle aches, joint pain, and fatigue. There is no specific treatment
for West Nile virus. Patients are treated with supportive therapy as needed. 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.
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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