Two cases of the West Nile virus have been detected in Latest York City amid a record mosquito outbreak in the world, based on the town’s Department of Health Mental Hygiene.
The 2 people infected with West Nile virus were from Queens and Brooklyn, the health department said. The agency has found 1,068 mosquito pools which have tested positive for West Nile in the town’s five boroughs, a rise from last 12 months’s 779 positive pools.
In Latest York City, mosquito activity peaks throughout the months of August and September, potentially spreading the West Nile virus to people through a bite by an infected insect. Mosquitos change into carriers of West Nile by biting birds which have contracted the virus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there are not any vaccines or medications to treat those infected with West Nile virus. Symptoms of the virus include headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. Most individuals get well from their infections, but fatigue and weakness can last for weeks or months.
Most individuals infected with the virus don’t feel sick, nonetheless, one in 150 people infected with West Nile develop a serious and sometimes fatal illness that affects the central nervous system or meningitis. One in 10 people die from the virus, the agency said.
The CDC recommends using insect repellant and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants to forestall mosquito bites and reduce the chance of contacting the West Nile virus.
“We’re in the peak of West Nile virus season, but there are things you possibly can do to diminish your risk of being bitten,” CDC Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said in an announcement. “Use an EPA registered insect repellent, wear long sleeves and pants, especially when outside at dusk and dawn when the varieties of mosquitoes that transmit WNV are most lively.”
Within the U.S., as of Aug. 9, there have been 4 deaths from West Nile and 54 cases of the virus. In 2021, there have been 2,695 cases of West Nile virus reported to the CDC.