Two people in New York have been infected with West Nile virus as the virus was detected in record numbers of mosquitoes across the Big Apple, the city’s health department said Tuesday.
One human case of the virus has been reported in Brooklyn and the other in Queens, while the department has detected mosquitoes in all five boroughs as West Nile carriers.
Mosquitoes can transmit the potentially deadly virus to humans through a bite.
However, most people infected with West Nile virus develop mild symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches and extreme fatigue, or no symptoms at all.
The majority of people who contract the virus recover fully, although some continue to experience health problems months after the initial infection, according to the health department.
People 60 and older and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of developing a serious and life-threatening condition called West Nile neuroinvasive disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. An average of 16 people a year are diagnosed with the disease in the city, according to data from the past decade.
Mosquitoes infected with West Nile usually appear in New York between July and October, with August and September being their peak season.
This year, the health department found that a record number of mosquitoes were carrying the virus. The department detected 1,068 positive mosquito pools – the highest number ever recorded – in the five boroughs, compared to 779 positive pools in the same period last year.
“We are at the height of West Nile virus season, but there are things you can do to reduce your risk of being bitten,” Health Commissioner Dr Ashwin Vasan said in a statement. communicated. “Use an EPA-registered insect repellent, wear long sleeves and pants, especially outdoors at dusk and dawn when the types of mosquitoes that transmit WNV are most active.”
Vasan also said New Yorkers should empty all water from outdoor containers and report any standing water they cannot drain to 311.
Nationwide, 54 cases and four virus-related deaths have been reported this year.