A horse in Manorville has tested positive for West Nile virus, Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. James Tomarken announced today.
While this finding doesn’t indicate an increased human risk for West Nile virus, Tomarken said, the county is conducting surveillance in the area to evaluate the risks. Horse owners are reminded to vaccinate their horses for West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus, the health commissioner said.
To date this year, 132 mosquito samples and 15 birds and one horse have tested positive for West Nile virus. No humans have tested positive for the virus in Suffolk this year.
No mosquito samples have tested positive for Zika virus in Suffolk County.
Residents are advised to continue to take precautions, as surveillance indicates that the both Culex pipiens-restuans and Asian Tiger Mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus), are presently active in Suffolk County. Asian Tiger mosquitoes are small mosquitoes with black and white stripes that are known to bite aggressively near your feet and ankles during the day.
Tomarken said residents should take three actions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes:
- Eliminate stagnant water where mosquitoes breed by dumping the water and scrubbing the containers weekly to remove the eggs;
- Use mosquito repellent with EPA approved labeling on the product and follow instructions;
- Consider using dunks, treating yards with barrier type sprays containing permethrin as the active ingredient, or hiring licensed pesticide applicators.
If these actions don’t help, residents may contact the Department of Public Works’ Vector Control Division at 631-852-4270 or via the web to request a vector control crew to check the area.
“Adult spraying for Asian Tiger mosquitoes isn’t very effective as it reduces their numbers for only a few days before new mosquitoes emerge from larvae that has been thriving in containers,” vector control chief Tom Iwanejko said. “This is why it is so important to dump the water on a regular weekly basis and scrub any eggs on the inside of the container.
Dead birds found on area properties may indicate the presence of West Nile virus in the area. To report dead birds, call the West Nile virus hotline in Suffolk County at 631-787-2200 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Residents are encouraged to take a photograph of any bird in question.
For further information on mosquitoes and mosquito-borne illnesses, visit the Department of Health Services’ website.
Watch video: Dr. Scott Campbell shows home owners many of the places in your back yard where mosquitoes breed.
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