The first cases of West Nile virus this year have been detected at a popular New York beach and campground, authorities said Friday.
According to the National Park Service (NPS), the virus was found in mosquito samples taken from traps set on Watch Hill at Fire Island National Seashore, a 30-mile-long barrier island off the coast of Long Island.
Watch Hill is a popular campground on federal land between Davis Park and the Fire Island Wilderness, and the traps were set up as part of a joint mosquito surveillance program between the National Park Service and the Suffolk County Health Department’s Arthropod-Borne Disease Laboratory.
West Nile virus was first identified in New York state in 1999, the same year it first entered the United States, and is now the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the United States, according to the CDC.
Fauci is hospitalized after testing positive for West Nile virus and is currently recovering at home
Officials said mosquito samples that tested positive for West Nile virus were found in traps at Watch Hill, a campground in Seashore. (National Park Service)
The virus is most commonly transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.
Symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea and a rash, although the majority of people infected with WNV (about 80%) do not experience any symptoms. There is no vaccine or treatment for the virus.
Fire Island National Seashore is a 30-mile long, half-mile wide barrier island off the coast of Long Island, New York. (National Park Service)
More than 1,800 people were hospitalized and 182 died from the virus in the U.S. last year, according to CDC data.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the public face of the U.S. coronavirus response, was hospitalized earlier this month with West Nile virus, a spokesman for Fauci told Fox News on Saturday. Fauci, 83, has since returned to his recuperating home and is expected to make a full recovery, the spokesman said.
Officials advised visitors to avoid areas with large mosquito populations and to wear covering clothing such as trousers, socks and long-sleeved shirts. (National Park Service)
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Meanwhile, the National Park Service and Suffolk County will continue their weekly mosquito surveillance programs to monitor the severity and extent of the virus in coastal communities. Increased surveillance will also be conducted at Watch Hill.
The National Park Service said if a threat to humans is identified, control measures such as larviciding, spraying and area closures may be implemented.
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Park officials said visitors to Fire Island National Seashore should avoid mosquito-infested areas, wear protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts, socks and long pants, and use insect repellent that contains at least 30 percent DEET.
Fox Digital’s Michael Dorgan and Daniel Wallace contributed to this report.
