West Nile virus: 19 mosquito samples in Suffolk test positive, officials say

Suffolk health officials said Monday that 19 mosquito samples have tested positive for West Nile virus, bringing the total number of positive samples this year to 31.

Another sample collected last month tested positive for another mosquito-borne illness, Jamestown Canyon virus, which can cause fever, headache, fatigue, stiff neck, confusion, loss of coordination and even seizures in worst-case scenarios.

The latest West Nile finds were announced by Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott, who said the positive samples were collected between July 31 and Aug. 3. The positives include four mosquitoes tested in Lindenhurst and one in each of the following locations: Commack, Dix Hills, East Hampton, Farmingville, Hauppauge, Holbrook, Huntington Station, Lake Ronkonkoma, Melville, North Babylon, Port Jefferson Station, Sayville, West Babylon, West Bay Shore and West Islip.

The virus was first detected in birds and mosquito samples in Suffolk back in 1999, officials said, adding that a total of 11 cases of West Nile were reported there in 2022. There were 24 in Nassau in 2022, the CDC said.

Nine people have died of West Nile in Suffolk since 2000. Totals were not immediately available for Nassau.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, there have been 126 cases of West Nile reported nationwide to date in 2023, with 56,569 total cases — and, 2,773 deaths — reported nationwide since 1999.

New York has had 1,126 total reported cases since 1999. Official statistics from the CDC report 253 of those cases were in Nassau and 142 in Suffolk.

Officials said that while most infected with West Nile will experience mild symptoms, or even no symptoms, some will have severe symptoms, which include high fever, headache, stiff neck, stupor, disorientation, convulsions, tremors, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness, paralysis — and even coma or death. Those 50 years and older, especially those with already compromised immune systems, are the most vulnerable, officials said.

Dead birds can indicate the presence of West Nile in the area and officials said that in Suffolk any dead bird finds should be reported to the Bureau of Public Health Protection at 631-852-5999. The phone lines are open between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., weekdays.

To report mosquito problems or issues with stagnant or standing water, which can be breeding sites for mosquitoes, Suffolk residents can contact the Department of Public Works Vector Control Division at 631-852-4270. In Nassau, residents can contact the Nassau Department of Public Works weekdays from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 516-572-1166.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”