A rise in West Nile virus throughout the U.S. has the city taking action to prevent more infections. The CDC has reported fewer than 10 cases throughout the tri-state for now, but the city’s Health Department will spray for mosquitoes Monday night in Central Park and upper Manhattan, then hitting southwest Brooklyn on Wednesday. NBC New York’s Erica Byfield reports.
The world's deadliest animal is simple to kill, but that doesn't mean it's easy to get rid of them.
Mosquitoes across New York City have been found with West Nile virus, and city officials have begun efforts to reduce the spread of the potentially deadly disease by spraying neighborhoods with insecticide. Although it's relatively rare, the virus sparked concerns after Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former top U.S. infectious disease expert, was hospitalized after he came down with the mosquito-borne disease.
The New York City Department of Health also announced last week that it detected West Nile in New Yorkers for the first time in 2024.
A total of six cases have been confirmed, according to NYCDOH. Four people tested positive for West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease, three in Queens and one in Manhattan. One person in Queens fell ill from West Nile Fever, and the virus was detected in three blood donors from Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens. It's unclear when the data was last updated.
Here's a look at where the virus has been detected in mosquitoes across NYC neighborhoods as of Aug. 23:
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West Nile virus was first reported in the U.S. in 1999 in New York. It gradually spread across the country. In 2003, there were nearly 10,000 cases.
Amid growing concerns about West Nile virus spreading in the New York City area, the city began spraying for mosquitoes in certain neighborhoods Monday night. The spraying will then continue in the southwest part of Brooklyn on Wednesday, including Bay Ridge, Coney Island and Dyker Heights.
The pesticides being used should not pose a significant health threat to people or pets when used properly.
NYC's Department of Health has sent out staff each day to 50 locations to trap and test mosquitoes, and they found the number of mosquitoes with West Nile is up across the board thus far in Summer 2024 throughout the five boroughs.
"We are focusing on areas where there is a high chance of disease transmission. Disease spread if not treated," said Dr. Waheed Bajwa, the executive director of vector surveillance for the DOH. "The recent Data is showing If we don't spray the transmission to human may occur."
The one common thread among places where recent sightings have been up: standing water, where mosquitoes breed. The continued testing led health authorities to target particular areas, such as Central Park and upper Manhattan.
The uptick in West Nile cases isn't just a NYC issue, it's nationwide. In New Jersey, the state's Health Department said cases appeared earlier in the season than expected and will probably continue until October.
