According to New York City health officials, mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus have been found in all five boroughs in the city.
The virus, which to date has no cure, has surfaced in 65 zip codes over the past two weeks, however, according to the NYC Department of Health’s tracker, no positive cases in humans have been found yet.
This year marks the 25th year since the virus was first detected in the city.
The Queens borough is the most impacted, with half of all reported findings so far this season with Manhattan being the second most impacted with just 12 cases fewer than Queens.
The virus typically peaks during the months of August and September, so high detection rates in July indicate that the city is in store for a higher than average season, officials concluded.
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On average 17 people are diagnosed with the disease each year with around 15 percent of those cases resulting in a fatality, according to the DOH.
Since the first known case was detected in the city 25 years ago, 18 people have been killed by the disease.
For those who do catch the virus, many don’t look or feel sick, however for those who do present symptoms, those symptoms include fever, headaches, altered mental status and other neurological issues. In extreme cases brain damage occurs.
Experts say the best way to protect against the virus is to use bug spray and cover up exposed skin.
Mosquitoes are also attracted to exposed water like fountains and puddles during humid periods, so it’s best to avoid these on humid days, experts say.
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Other regions impacted
In addition to the Big Apple, several other regions in the country are saying that they have detected the virus in mosquito samples.
The Cape May Health Department in southern New Jersey issued a press release saying that seven mosquito samples from June and July this year tested positive for West Nile virus.
Denton County Public Health in Texas also reported detecting the virus in five samples.
In Suffolk County, New York, the health department announced on Monday that 16 samples tested positive for the virus.
In a press release, Dr. Gregson Pigott of the Suffolk County Health Department said, “The confirmation of West Nile virus in mosquito samples indicates the presence of West Nile virus in the area. While there is no cause for alarm, we advise residents to cooperate with us in our efforts to reduce exposure to West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases.”
Although instances of infections are much lower this year than last year, experts are still urging people to take precautions against the virus.
Currently, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25 cases of the virus have been reported in 14 states, lower than the 117 cases reported last year.
