By Jeff Lipton
The woman became ill on Sept. 2 when she developed a severe fever and headache, officials said. She was hospitalized on Sept. 4 for about a week and was released on Sept. 11. She is now recovering at home, county officials said. Even though the woman lives in Hewlett, it is not known where she was infected with the disease, which is carried by mosquitoes called culex pipien/restunas or the typical house mosquito. The infection of the Hewlett woman is the first case in the Five Towns in years.
The woman, whose identity is being withheld, was one of three individuals who were recently diagnosed with the disease, which can be fatal if it is undiagnosed and left untreated. An 85-year-old man from Mineola came down with the disease on Aug. 27 after suffering symptoms of fever, headache and muscle weakness. He was hospitalized on Sept. 3 and discharged on Sept. 11, county officials said. A 69-year-old man from Floral Park became ill with fever, headache and muscle pain on Sept. 2, was hospitalized on Sept. 7 and is recovering at home after being discharged from the hospital on Sept. 13, officials said.
As a result of the three cases, the county Department of Health and Public Works have intensified mosquito surveillance activities in Hewlett, Mineola and Floral Park areas, inspecting for mosquito breeding sites and, when necessary, applying larvicide. Nassau County officials, however, said they have no current plans to spray for adult mosquitoes. The county has resisted spraying for mosquitoes in recent years because it has touched off protests from environmental groups.
Nassau health officials have one additional mosquito pool that tested positive for the virus, in Garden City, bringing to 19 the total for the year. A West Babylon man, who died of encephalitis resulting from the virus earlier this month, is the only fatality this year.
With the increase of West Nile virus throughout the country, it is not surprising to find additional cases in Nassau County, said David M. Ackman, Nassau County commissioner of health. He added that Nassau reported a total of 11 West Nile cases last year and no deaths. The previous year there were four cases and two deaths in the county. In 2000 there were no cases reported but in 1999, when the disease first came to the forefront, there were six cases reported and one person died, officials said.
West Nile only made its reappearance in the Five Towns recently when a dead crow found in Inwood tested positive for the disease. County officials would not say where the bird was found but one source said it was discovered at the Inwood Country Club on Peppe Drive on Aug. 17 and was picked up by the county the following day. It tested positive for West Nile on Aug. 28. Even though the bird was found in the area, it does not mean the crow was infected in the area and there was no reason to be alarmed, county officials said.
The bird could have been infected somewhere else, said county health department spokeswoman Cynthia Brown. West Nile is coast-to-coast. It's all over. She said when West Nile was first diagnosed in 1999 in the county health professionals were concerned because they did not know what they were dealing with or how the disease was being transmitted.
It was a year of discovery, Brown said. We did learn things from the Center for Disease Control. There were a lot of professional people working on it and the transmission of the disease.
The county has had an active mosquito control program for the past 80 years, which has been enhanced since the discovery of West Nile. Brown said the county has only about 10 percent of the control of the mosquito population and the rest is up to those who own property. County officials said it is up to residents to help eliminate mosquito breeding sites. They have urged residents to eliminate standing water from around homes and places of business Ñ from old tires, garbage cans or any objects that can hold water; make sure roof gutters drain properly and gutters are cleaned in the spring and fall; keep swimming pools chlorinated and their covers free of stagnant water; and change the water in bird baths every two or three days.
To prevent becoming a victim of West Nile, the county encourages residents to make sure window and door screens are in good shape; minimize the time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most abundant; wear shoes, socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for an extended time; and to consider the use of mosquito repellent when spending time outside.
Residents may continue to report dead birds to the New York State hotline toll-free at 1-866-537-2473, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or to the Department of Health, Monday through Friday, from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at (516) 571-8707. Most of the reported birds will not be collected.
To report a mosquito problem, call (516) 571-8707 weekdays from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
