Health Officials Find West Nile In Mosquitos On Staten Island
NEW YORK (CBS 2) -- It's time to stock up on bug repellent.
Mosquitos collected in the Eltingville Section of Staten Island are the first in the city to be found carrying the West Nile virus this season.
Health officials say no human cases of the disease have been detected, so far.
Not everyone who picks up west nile gets sick, but for some people, it can be fatal.
West Nile was first reported in the United States in 1999. It is spread by mosquitoes that often pick up the virus from birds they bite. Symptoms include neck stiffness, disorientation, coma and paralysis.
The disease can cause encephalitis, a serious inflammation of the brain or spinal cord, and can also cause a more moderate flu-like illness with headache, fever and extreme fatigue.
If you think you have symptoms of West Nile Virus, see your doctor right away.
Last summer, a 66-year-old woman in Nassau County had the first confirmed case of West Nile virus in the state. Her symptoms included headache, weakness, fever and blurry vision.
Have you ever had West Nile? Sound off in our comments section below…
