16 more mosquito samples have tested positive for West Nile in Suffolk

Suffolk County health officials announced Monday that 16 mosquito samples have tested positive for West Nile virus, bringing the total number of positive samples this year to 32.

In a news release, Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott said the positive samples were collected on July 9 and 10. The positive specimens include three mosquitoes removed from traps in Nesconset, two each in Commack, Lindenhurst and Port Jefferson Station, and one each in Aquebogue, Bohemia, Cold Spring Harbor, Holbrook, Melville, Riverhead and Rocky Point.

Pigott said the health department's findings are “no cause for alarm.”
Dr. Scott Campbell, director of the county's Arthropod Borne Disease Lab in Yaphank, said public health researchers have often detected West Nile in as many as 16 or more mosquitoes, but not this early in the year.

“We’re ahead of our normal progression,” he said in a telephone interview Monday afternoon. He added that “in theory,” this advanced timeline could mean more positive cases than usual as the year progresses, but significant rainstorms could disrupt this trend and result in a "normal" year.

“Most of the activity is driven by a wet spring and a hot, dry summer, which obviously we have,” Campbell said.

The Suffolk County Health Department detected the first positive cases of West Nile virus for the season in mosquitoes collected on June 26.

Mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus can transmit the disease to humans through a bite. Suffolk officials said most people infected with West Nile virus will experience mild or no symptoms, but some develop severe symptoms including high fever, headache, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis, which last several weeks. Neurological effects may be permanent.

To prevent mosquito bites, Pigott advises Long Islanders, especially those 50 years or older or those with compromised immune systems to minimize outdoor activities between dusk and dawn, wear socks, shoes, long pants and long-sleeve shirts, apply mosquito repellent and clean containers that hold water, such as pet water bowls and birdbaths, once a week.

Health officials said dead birds may indicate the presence of the West Nile virus. They ask the public to photograph and report dead birds to the Bureau of Public Health Protection by calling 631-852-5999 weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Residents can report mosquito problems or stagnant pools of water by calling the Department of Public Works’ Vector Control Division at 631-852-4270.