NewsDesk @bactiman63

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene have reported two human West Nile virus (WNV) to date, one each from Brooklyn and Queens.

Image/CDC

Both patients were hospitalized with West Nile neuroinvasive disease (WNND); one has since been discharged.

Over the past 10 years, an average of 16 (range 6-30) people have been diagnosed with WNND per year in NYC. The median age was 62 years and the case fatality rate 14%. By borough, the average incidence rate (per 100,000 people) was highest in Staten Island (0.4), followed by Queens (0.3), Brooklyn and Manhattan (0.2), and the Bronx (0.1). Most patients with WNV fever disease or WNV meningitis recover completely, but fatigue, malaise, and weakness can linger for weeks or months. Patients with WNV encephalitis or poliomyelitis often have residual neurologic deficits.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of August 9, 54 human WNV cases have been reported, including four deaths.

City health officials report West Nile virus (WNV) has been detected in a record number of pools of mosquitoes collected in New York City; across all five boroughs.

Subscribe to Outbreak News TV on YouTube

To date in 2022, the number of positive pools exceeds that of all prior years at this same time point. There are a total of 1,068 positive mosquito pools (Bronx=107, Brooklyn=202, Manhattan=40, Queens=330 and Staten Island=389) compared with 779 positive pools at the same time last season (2021).