“This is a sad reminder of how severe West Nile virus can be”, said city Health Officer Mitchell Kushner, in a statement Wednesday.
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The elderly man, whose infection was confirmed in September, represented the first case of West Nile disease this year in Long Beach, health officials said in a news release. A total of eight cases, including the Hillsborough one, have been reported across the state since the year began. “Residents and visitors should take precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes and to limit exposure to mosquito-borne illnesses”.
Hillsborough County Mosquito and Aquatic Weed Control and the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County continue surveillance and prevention efforts. This has proven to be effective in reducing the numbers of mosquitoes in specific areas.
West Nile virus has also been detected in several mosquito samples from Rhode Island communities, including Cranston and West Kingston.
This year, no deaths related to the virus have been reported.
Mosquitoes typically become carriers of the virus after feeding on an infected bird and can then spread the potentially lethal strain to animals and humans.
Symptoms may never materialize, but can include fever, headache, nausea, body aches, skin rashes and swollen lymph nodes. Mosquitoes can breed in as little as a quarter inch of standing water, the county noted.
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For more information, contact the city of Long Beach Health Department Vector Control Program at 562-570-4132.
