Health department officials said no Suffolk residents have tested positive this year for the virus, which can be fatal. West Nile was first detected in Suffolk County in 1999 and has been identified in the county every year since. It is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito.

On Tuesday at about 11:30 p.m., the county's department of public works sprayed all streets north of North Country Road from Hallock Landing Road east to Shoreham with an aerosol application designed to combat the spread of the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control said that there has been only one reported case of a human contracting West Nile Virus in all of New York State this year. Meanwhile, there have been 58 cases of West Nile virus nationwide, including deaths in Mississippi and Texas.

In 2008, there were 46 reported cases of West Nile across the state, including six deaths.

Despite the positive test on the mosquito pool, health officials urged residents to remain calm.

“The confirmation of West Nile virus in a mosquito pool indicates that the virus is actively circulating within the mosquito population,” county health Commissioner Dr. Humayun Chaudhry said in a statement issued Monday. “While there is no cause for alarm, we urge residents to cooperate with us in our efforts to contain the spread of the virus, which can be debilitating to humans.”

The county said one measure residents can take to prevent infection is to attempt to reduce the mosquito population around their homes. In an effort to help residents do so, the health department offered the following suggestions:

• Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or similar water-holding containers.

• Remove all discarded tires on the property.

• Make sure roof gutters drain properly, and clean clogged gutters.

• Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use.

• Change the water in birdbaths.

• Clean vegetation and debris from the edges of ponds and keep shrubs and grass trimmed.

• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas and hot tubs.

• Drain water from pool covers.

Most people infected with West Nile virus will experience mild or no symptoms, but some can develop such severe symptoms as high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis, Dr. Chaudhry said. The symptoms may last several weeks, and neurologic effects may be permanent, he said.

The county asked that residents — especially those over 50 or with compromised immune systems — to take precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. Suggestions for limiting exposure include using mosquito repellent, wearing clothing that covers your skin and spending less time outside.

gparpan@northshoresun.com

Have something to report?

Dead birds may indicate the presence of West Nile virus in an area. To report dead birds, call the West Nile virus hot line in Suffolk County at (631) 787-2200 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

To report mosquito problems or stagnant pools of water, call the department of public works' vector control division at (631) 852-4270.

For medical questions related to West Nile virus, call (631) 853-3055.

For further information on West Nile virus, visit the department of health online at www.suffolkcountyny.gov/health

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4 comments found

west nile spraying : 9/14/2009
Grant Parpan you are a disgusting propagandist!

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spraying for west nile : 8/26/2009
We were never informed that we were about to be sprayed for West Nile virus. a very nice woman walking by told us to put our cat in the house because they were spraying. Right as she was telling us a yellow county truck with the Suffolk County logo and the spray tank came by with 2 guys in it who never said a word. We're they spraying?? holly smokes! There I stood dumbfounded at 7:40 pm. myself with a compromised immune system while undergoing chemotherapy. Like I needed to be standing out there! I had to run into my house to close windows and we had to pull our laundry in. This was indeed poor communication on behalf of Suffolk County. They could have put up signs. The workers could have warned us. Nothing. Not one word. We heard it was on channel 12 news... we do not get channel 12 news. What about a reverse 911 call. Or going around with a megaphone before they sprayed. Neighbors had kid toys out on the lawn. People are growing gardens. When we told them they needed to wash everything down because we were sprayed the night before they were in shock. Why weren't they told!

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mosquito pools- west nile : 8/25/2009
i really love the way the county says that the people can reduce the mosquito population around their homes by reducing the amount of standing water pools. tell me why when you call the highway dept., several times about standing water in catch basins ,on woodhull landingand lower rocky point road, we are told that something will be done, when it is not? i was told ,upon following up for the fourth time," that the foreman put in it has been taken care of," yet i pass the catch basins every day and NOTHING has been done. why must we put up with being ripped off, by way of exorbitant taxes, yet these bums that" work " for the county make good money along with perks such as driving around in pickup trucks that cost alot of our hard earned money to gas up, or insure? i say REVOLUTION.

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Suffolk County Residents Sprayed For West Nile Virus Without Warning or Ample Justification : 8/21/2009
http://philsever.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/suffolk-county-residents-sprayed-for-west-nile-virus-without-warning-or-ample-justification/

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