A mosquito sample taken from Gardiner County Park in Islip on June 20 and a dead crow found in Northport on June 27 tested positive for the virus.
In neighboring Nassau County, no positive samplings have been found so far.
Last year, four Suffolk residents were reported infected with the disease. In Nassau there were 16 confirmed cases, including a 70-year-old man who died.
Health officials advise residents to remove stagnant water where mosquitoes breed. Mosquitoes transmit the disease.
The West Nile virus is mild for most people, but can be deadly for others with weak immune systems.
Some people experience only mild flu-like symptoms after contracting West Nile virus, but the infection can cause meningitis or encephalitis, which can result in a potentially fatal inflammation of the brain or spinal cord.
Reducing Exposure to Mosquitoes
If you think you have symptoms of West Nile virus, see your doctor right away. The most common symptoms are headache, fever and extreme fatigue. For more information about West Nile virus, and how to avoid it, visit the Health Department website at www.nyc.gov/health or call 311.
Information on West Nile virus surveillance is available at http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/wnv/wnvrrs.shtml/a>.
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