Additional Mosquito Sample Tests Positive for West Nile Virus

The Suffolk County Department of Health Services was informed on October 1^st by the New York State Department of Health that testing at their lab confirms that an additional mosquito sample submitted by the SCDHS is confirmed to be inflected with West Nile virus.  This mosquito sample was collected on September 22^nd on Fire Island.  This season, a total of seventeen mosquito samples and nineteen birds have tested positive for the virus.  No human cases have been reported this year.

While daytime and evening temperatures are cooler and mosquitoes are less likely to bite, residents are reminded to take precautions to avoid being bitten.  Chemical repellents are effective at reducing bites from mosquitoes.  Manufacturers’ instructions should be followed to ensure proper application.

West Nile virus, first detected in SuffolkCounty in 1999 and again each year thereafter, is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito.  The virus can cause serious illness and in some cases death.

For medical questions related to West Nile virus, call 631-853-3055.

For further information on West Nile virus, visit the Department of Health Services’ website at www.suffolkcountyny.gov/health.