State declares West Nile threat for Nassau

As Nassau County reported 18 additional sites Thursday where mosquitoes have tested positive for West Nile virus, the state issued a public health threat declaration for the county and urged downstate residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites.

"A warm, dry summer is triggering an increase in West Nile virus in the mosquito population earlier than expected," state health Commissioner Dr. Richard Daines said in a statement. "Nassau and Suffolk counties, as well as New York City, recently have detected West Nile virus in mosquitoes at much higher rates than they have seen in the past several years at this time of the summer." Several possible human cases are being investigated in Nassau and Suffolk, he said.

Also Thursday, New York City said its public health lab had confirmed its first human case of West Nile viral disease this season, a Bronx man, 61, who became ill on July 10.

Late last month, Nassau identified what it said was the first human case statewide, a New Hyde Park woman, 66, whose symptoms appeared July 5. State confirmation on the Nassau case and a suspected Suffolk case involving a man, 72, from the Town of Huntington is pending.

Nassau Health Commissioner Dr. Maria Torroella Carney said she requested this year's threat declaration to convey the real risk posed by the mosquito-borne disease.

"It looks like it's turning out to be a worse year than 2008 in terms of the number of mosquito pools positive at this date," Carney said. "This is a risk to the human population, and this is a unique year because the number of pools that are positive is higher and earlier than in past years."

As of this week, 48 mosquito pools in Nassau have tested positive for the virus, compared with 20 sites at this date in 2008, Carney said. Suffolk has 38 infected pools and New York City has 127, according to the state Health Department.

State Health Department spokesman Jeffrey Hammond said the threat declaration gives Nassau more flexibility in mosquito control measures - such as aerial spraying - and allows for greater reimbursement from the state if expenses to control the virus exceed estimates.