West Nile virus infects 4 in NYC; 26 mosquito samples in Suffolk test positive

The West Nile virus has infected four New York City residents and also been detected in mosquito pools across all five boroughs, the city Health Department announced Monday.

The four people sickened by the mosquito-borne virus live in Queens and Manhattan. Among the four, one person was diagnosed with West Nile fever and three were hospitalized with neuroinvasive disease, which is a potentially fatal illness of the brain and spinal cord, beginning in late July, officials said.

In addition, according to city officials, the virus was detected in blood donations from three people who reside in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens. Reports of two people in the Bronx possibly infected by West Nile are under investigation, they added.

Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott announced Monday that 26 mosquito samples have tested positive for West Nile virus. The samples were collected Aug. 6 from Aquebogue, Bay Shore, Bohemia, Cold Spring Harbor, Copiague, Dix Hills, East Hampton, Farmingville, Islip, Lindenhurst, Nesconset, Northport, North Patchogue, Port Jefferson Station, Rocky Point, Shelter Island and Southold.

On Aug. 7, Suffolk County officials announced that an Islip man had tested positive for the virus in mid-July, the first human case in the state this year. He was hospitalized but released later that month, officials said.

West Nile virus is the most common mosquito-borne disease in the United States, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is detected annually during the summer and fall, but the majority of human cases are reported in August and September.

Most people infected will have no symptoms, though some may develop fever, headache, muscle aches, rash and extreme fatigue, city health officials said.

While the majority of those people infected will recover fully, others could continue to have problems months after infection.

To reduce exposure to mosquitoes, health officials recommend using an EPA-approved insect repellent; those with severely compromised immune symptoms should avoid going out between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes carrying the virus are most active and bite, and eliminating any standing water and dispose of containers that hold water.

By Olivia Winslow

olivia.winslow@newsday.com@newsollie