A New Yorker has contracted the dangerous West Nile virus — the first reported human case in the city this year, health officials revealed Wednesday.
The unidentified city dweller fell ill with the mosquito-borne disease after spending time outdoors around the city, and in several locations outside the Big Apple, health department officials said.
The diagnosis comes as 222 human cases of West Nile virus nationally have been reported by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, largely in Arizona, California and Texas.
Mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus have been detected in all five boroughs since June – and, alarmingly, within nearly twice as many samples as last summer, officials have said.
“The good news is it’s preventable,” said Alister Martin, the city’s health commissioner, in a statement. “With mosquito season in full swing, we’re encouraging New Yorkers to take extra precautions to minimize the risk of mosquito bites.
“The steps to protect yourself are simple: wear insect repellent, cover up during dawn and dusk, and get rid of standing water around your home.”
