Bridgehampton Mosquito Sample Tests Positive For West Nile Virus

BRIDGEHAMPTON, NY — Four new mosquito samples have tested positive for West Nile virus, including one in Bridghampton.

Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. James Tomarken made the announcement Thursday, with the sample in Bridgehampton, as well as one in West Babylon — both collected on Sept. 12, — and one collected on Sept. 13 in Huntington Station, of the Culex pipiens-restuans species. One mosquito sample of the Culex salinarius species was collected on September 12 from Islip, the Suffolk County Health Department said.

No mosquito samples tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis this week, officials said.

To date, 116 mosquito samples have tested positive for West Nile virus and four samples have tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus, or EEE. No horses have tested positive for mosquito-borne illness in Suffolk County to date this year, officials said.

Three Suffolk County residents are confirmed as positive for West Nile virus, officials said.

The number of human cases of West Nile virus varies each year. Suffolk County reported 5 human cases in both 2015 and 2016, 1 case in 2014, and 4 cases in both 2011 and 2013. Comparatively, the county reported 14 human cases in 2012 and 25 in 2010, the year in which the virus claimed 3 lives, officials said

According to the Suffolk County Health Department, no lives have been lost due to West Nile virus since 2010; prior to 2010, 2 died in Suffolk County in both 2002 and 2003.

West Nile virus, first detected in birds and mosquito samples in Suffolk County in 1999 and again each year since, is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. According to officials, West Nile virus may cause a range of symptoms, from mild to severe. Symptoms may include fever, headache, vomiting, muscle aches, joint pain, and fatigue. There is no specific treatment for West Nile virus. Patients are treated with supportive therapy as needed.

“The confirmation of West Nile virus in mosquito samples or birds indicates the presence of West Nile virus in the area,” said Dr. Tomarken. “While there is no cause for alarm, we advise residents to cooperate with us in our efforts to reduce the exposure to the virus, which can be debilitating to humans.”

To avoid mosquito bites, residents are advised to:

• 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.

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, go to the Department of Health Services’ website.

Patch file photo.