Jul. 31--West Nile virus has been found in two more mosquito samples collected this month in Huntington, Suffolk County Department of Health officials confirmed yesterday.
That brings the number of positive mosquito samples in the area to six this year, officials said.
Previously, four crows and one blue jay also tested positive in Huntington. In all seven birds have been found to have the West Nile virus in Suffolk.
Suffolk health officials said they had been notified of the positive samples by the state Health Department. The samples were collected on July 16 and 17.
The virus is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito and can cause serious illness and, in some cases, death, officials said. Mild symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, a skin rash and swollen lymph glands. Signs of severe infection, which can lead to West Nile encephalitis or meningitis, include high fever, muscle weakness, stupor and disorientation, county officials said.
Since 2001, when the first human case was identified in Suffolk, there have been 30 human cases of West Nile and, officials said, four deaths. To see more of Newsday, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.newsday.com Copyright (c) 2008, Newsday, Melville, N.Y. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
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