Twenty-one new mosquito samples, including one in Riverhead, have test positive for West Nile Virus, Suffolk County Health Commissioner Gregson Pigott announced today.
The samples, all Culex Pipiens-restuans, were collected on Aug. 12, 13, 19, and 20, according to a health department press release. The positive samples were collected in Copiague (2), Dix Hills (1), Lindenhurst (1), Northport (1), Melville (1), Bay Shore (1), Port Jefferson Station (2), Rocky Point (2), Selden (1), Farmingville (2), Riverhead (1), Shelter Island (1), Greenlawn (1), St. James (2), Islip (1) and Brentwood (1), the health department said.
To date this season, 111 mosquito samples have tested positive for West Nile virus, and four mosquito samples have tested positive for Jamestown Canyon virus, according to the press release. One bird has tested positive for West Nile virus this season.
No humans have tested positive for the virus this year, to date.
West Nile virus was first detected in birds and mosquito samples in Suffolk County in 1999 and again each year thereafter. It is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito.
Suffolk County reported 21 human cases of West Nile virus in 2024 and five in 2023.
Nine people have died from West Nile virus since 2000.
More information about West Nile virus in Suffolk County can be found on the health department website.
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 health department said. The symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent, according to the agency.
People age 50 or older or those with compromised immune systems, are urged to take precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
“While mosquito activity decreases when temperatures drop, many are still present and biting through October,” Pigott said. “We encourage residents, especially those over age 50, to continue to take precautions.”
Pigott offered the following tips to avoid mosquito bites:
- Minimize outdoor activities between dusk and dawn.
- Wear shoes and socks, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts when mosquitoes are active.
- Use mosquito repellent, following label directions carefully.
- Make sure all windows and doors have screens, and that all screens are in good repair.
- Keep mosquitoes from laying eggs inside and outside of your home. Once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out containers that hold water, such as vases, pet water bowls, flowerpot saucers, discarded tires, buckets, pool covers, birdbaths, trash cans and rain barrels.
- Download a copy of Suffolk County’s informational brochure “Get the Buzz on Mosquito Protection,” available in English and Spanish, and share it with your community.
Dead birds may indicate the presence of West Nile virus in the area. To report dead birds, call the Bureau of Public Health Protection at 631-852-5999 from 9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Residents are encouraged to take a photograph of any bird in question.
To report mosquito problems or stagnant pools of water, call the Department of Public Works’ Vector Control Division at 631-852-4270.
For further information on West Nile virus, visit the Department of Health Services’ website.
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