MYFOXNY.COM -
The New York City health department says a Staten Island man has contracted West Nile virus. It is the first reported case in New York City in 2012.
The man, over the age of 50, was hospitalized with viral meningitis and has since been released.
In response to this case, and the growing number of mosquitoes testing positive for the virus, the health department has completed three rounds of pesticide spraying in Staten Island in order to reduce the number of mosquitoes and the risk of West Nile virus.
The Health Department says it inspects and treats standing water sites with non-chemical larvicides to kill larval mosquitoes before they emerge as flying adults. When necessary, the agency also applies small amounts of chemical pesticides to kill adult mosquitoes.
A schedule of mosquito control activities is available online at http://www.nyc.gov/health or by phone at 311.
West Nile virus infections typically begin to occur around this time in the summer.
252 New Yorkers have been diagnosed with West Nile virus since it was first found in the United States in 1999.
