Suffolk
County Health Commissioner Dr. James Tomarken announced today that seventeen
new mosquito samples tested positive for West Nile virus. The samples, all Culex pipiens-restuans, were collected between
August 21 and August 29, 2018, from East Northport (2), Rocky
Point (1), Melville (1), Islip (1), Setauket (2), Port Jeff Station (1),
Lindenhurst (2), West Babylon (3), Rocky Point (1), Aquebogue (1), and Southold (2).
To
date, the county has reported one horse, 117 mosquito samples and 10 birds have
tested positive for West Nile Virus. There have been no human cases of West
Nile virus in Suffolk County to date.
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 631-852-5999 from
9 a.m. to 4:00 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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