New York City sees first West Nile-infected mosquitoes this season, health department says

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The New York City Health Department announced Wednesday that mosquitoes collected in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island were infected with West Nile virus. 

The news marks the first time this mosquito season — which takes place between April and September — that health officials have detected the virus in the insects.

Though no human cases have been reported at this time, the city health department is “increasing mosquito surveillance in the surrounding area by installing additional mosquito monitoring traps.”

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“The Department will spray pesticide to target mosquitoes if persistent West Nile virus activity is detected. The City will continue its efforts to kill mosquito larvae before they can bite by applying larvicide in catch basins, marshland and other areas with standing water,” the health department said in a statement, noting it has “already begun catch basin larviciding.”

“We want New Yorkers to enjoy the outdoors this summer, but we also want people to protect themselves against mosquito bites by wearing insect repellent and covering their arms and legs,” Dr. Oxiris Barbot, the commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said in a statement.

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“We also encourage everyone to remove any standing water that may harbor mosquitoes or call 311 for standing water they cannot manage themselves,” she added.

West Nile virus typically spreads through infected mosquitoes when they bite humans and animals.

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The virus, which was first reported in the U.S. in 1999, can result in a fever or headache, though most people infected do not experience symptoms. That said, about 1 in 150 people who are infected with West Nile virus can develop a serious illness  — such as inflammation of the spinal cord or brain — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says.