Brooklyn Man Tests Positive for West Nile Virus

A male Brooklyn resident over the age of 60 has been diagnosed with West Nile virus, says the NYC Department of Health (DOH) on Sunday — the first confirmed case in the city this summer.

The man tested positive for the mosquito-borne virus after he was ”hospitalized with viral meningitis” says the DOH.

He has since been treated and discharged.

West Nile season in New York City typically lasts from July through October. A total of 318 New Yorkers have been diagnosed with the virus since its first appearance in the U.S. — in NYC, in fact — in 1999.

NYC Health Commissioner Mary Bassett says in a statement issued on Sunday:

“This first case of West Nile virus disease in New York City provides a vital reminder to protect ourselves against mosquito bites. Wearing mosquito repellent when you are outdoors, and long sleeves and pants in the morning and evening will reduce your risk of infection. New Yorkers age 60 and older or persons with weakened immune systems should be especially careful as they are more likely to become seriously ill, and in rare instances die, if infected.”

Most people infected with West Nile virus show no symptoms, says the DOH. Those who do, however, often complain of fever, headache, fatigue and body aches. Some also develop rashes or swollen lymph glands.

“Symptoms can last for as short as a few days, though even healthy people have become sick for several weeks,” says the DOH.

According to the New York Times, symptoms sometimes take two weeks to develop — ”but they may then be rapid and overwhelming.”

Only about one infection in 150 becomes serious enough for the patient to need hospitalization — usually when the virus gets into the brain and spinal cord. But 10 percent of those hospitalized die, and other patients are left paralyzed, comatose or with serious mental problems. A recent study by doctors in Houston found kidney disease high among survivors.

There is no vaccine, and no drug that specifically targets the virus, so health authorities advise people to avoid getting bitten.

To prevent mosquitoes from spreading the virus, the DOH typically treats standing-water sites with ”non-chemical larvicides” to kill larvae-stage mosquitoes — as well as a small amount of chemical pesticides, to kill adults.

Health officials also spray some neighborhood streets with aerial doses of Anvil 10+10, a synthetic pesticide.

So far this summer, there have been 18 rounds of neighborhood sprays, with the next one planned for 14 different zip codes in Queens on Monday night. No sprayings have been scheduled for Brooklyn yet this season.

You can check out the full schedule of summer sprayings at the DOH website.

And here are some tips from the DOH on West Nile Virus prevention and control.