West Nile Virus Infected Mosquitos Found In Northport: Report

NORTHPORT, NY — A mosquito sample recently tested positive for the West Nile virus in Northport, according to the Suffolk County Department of Health. The sample was collected on July 25 and follows four other cases of the virus also found in mosquitos in Cold Spring Harbor, Brentwood and Melville.

The five mosquito samples were the first to test positive for West Nile virus in Suffolk County in 2019, according to the Huntington Now. Additionally, two dead birds tested positive for West Nile this year, one in Northport and one in Nesconset.

The West Nile virus was first found in birds and mosquitos in Suffolk County in 1999, and has returned every year since, according to the Huntington Now.

So far this year no county residents have been reported to be infected by the virus, which can cause fever headache, body aches, skin rash, and swollen lymph nodes.

Residents can avoid mosquito bites by:

• Minimizing outdoor activities between dusk and dawn.
• Wearing shoes and socks, long pants and long-sleeved shirts when mosquitoes are active.
• Using mosquito repellent, following label directions carefully.
• Ensuring all windows and doors have screens, and that all screens are in good repair.
• Keeping 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.

The Suffolk County Department of Health encourages residents to help monitor their own communities, and report any sightings of dead birds that may have been infected with the West Nile Virus.

The public health hotline is 631-787-2200.