Officials: 158 LI mosquito samples West Nile-positive

Health officials have announced 22 additional West Nile-positive mosquito samples in Nassau and 11 more in Suffolk, bringing the total to 158 combined so far this season for the two counties, the highest this time of year since surveillance for the summertime virus began in 1999.

Mosquitoes remain in flight through October, which suggests the viral cargo they have onboard could pose a threat deep into fall. The disease-carrying insects do not lie dormant, experts say, until frosty temperatures force them out of the air.

So far, 87 positive samples have been collected in Suffolk County, the most recent state-confirmed pools collected Aug. 2 and 3. They were identified in Brookhaven, Huntington, Babylon and Southaven County Park. Multiple positive samples were collected in some sites.

Because birds are the source of the virus (mosquitoes pick it up from fowl they bite) health officials are also monitoring the virus in birds. To date, 16 birds have tested positive in Suffolk.

With 22 newly confirmed positive mosquito pools, Nassau County now has a total of 71 detected this summer. Positive samples were confirmed Thursday. They were found in Merrick, Wantagh, Glen Cove, Elmont, Lakeview, Massapequa, West Hempstead, Woodmere, Garden City, East Hills, Westbury, East Garden City, Mineola and Valley Stream. The test results were confirmed Thursday by the New York State Department of Health.

State health officials declared a public health threat in Nassau County last week at the request of county officials. The declaration enables Nassau to more easily implement mosquito control measures.Warm, dry summer weather is suspected of triggering an increase in the virus that abruptly appeared for the first time in this hemisphere 11 years ago in Queens.