Viruses have been found in mosquito samples around Suffolk County, the county health department said Thursday.
Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott said that five additional mosquito sample have tested positive for West Nile virus. Four of the positive samples were of the Culex pipiens-restuans species. They were collected from Lindenhurst, Northport, and Greenlawn, on July 25 and from Setauket on July 2
One positive sample was of the Aedes taeniorhynchus species. It was collected in Mastic Beach on July 25. To date this year, 12 mosquito samples have tested positive for West Nile virus.
One mosquito sample has tested positive for Jamestown Canyon virus. The mosquito sample was of the Aedes cantator species. It was collected on July 18 in Sayville.
West Nile virus, first detected in birds and mosquito samples in Suffolk County in 1999 and again each year thereafter, is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. Suffolk County reported 11 cases of West Nile virus in 2022 and 8 in 2021. Nine people have died from West Nile virus since 2000. More information about West Nile virus in Suffolk County can be found on our website: https://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Health-Services/Public-Health/Preventive-Services/Arthropod-borne-Diseases/Mosquitoes
Most people infected with West Nile virus will experience mild or no symptoms, but some can develop severe symptoms including high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness, and paralysis. The symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent.
Individuals, especially those 50 years or older or those with compromised immune systems, are urged to take precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
Jamestown Canyon virus is spread to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. Fever, headache and fatigue are common symptoms of Jamestown Canyon virus. Symptoms of severe disease may include stiff neck, confusion, loss of coordination, difficulty speaking, or seizures. There are no vaccines to prevent the virus and treatment is supportive care.
Though Suffolk County has no reported cases of Jamestown Canyon virus, this virus has been isolated in mosquito samples in 2008, 2017 and 2022. More information on Jamestown Canyon virus can be found on the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/jamestown-canyon/index.html