West Nile Strikes Queens Resident

An 84-year-old Rosedale man has become the first Queens resident to catch the dreaded West Nile virus this year.
The victim, whom authorities did not identify, is hospitalized in critical condition, according to Greg Butler, a spokesman for the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH).
The man became ill with a low-grade fever on July 20 and was hospitalized July 27, Butler said. He subsequently developed encephalitis, a swelling of the brain traceable to the West Nile virus. Tests confirmed the virus presence.
Although this is the first case reported in New York City this year, several people here have died over the past several years from West Nile.
The city, meanwhile, is going ahead with planned insecticide spraying that had been scheduled last week in those parts of Queens that have seen the most West Nile cases. Citing windy weather, the department had put off the spraying, designed to kill the mosquitoes that carry West Nile, for three days.
The spraying, however, is not being done in Rosedale but at another end of the borough, in Bayside and Bay Terrace, where past cases of West Nile had been diagnosed. The city now is considering spraying southeastern Queens and certainly will pay more attention to mosquito activity there, Butler added.
"As a result of the human case, we are increasing surveillance in the area of Rosedale, to assess if there is increased West Nile virus activity in the area," he said.
The virus first appeared in New York in 1999, killing four people and putting 40 more into the hospital, according to the DOHMH. Many of those cases occurred in Queens. In 2000, 14 cases were diagnosed, most in Staten Island. Last year, seven city residents were hospitalized and two more were treated for encephalitis caused by the virus.
Residents are encouraged to report dead birds and areas of standing water, where mosquitoes breed, to the DOHMH by calling 1-877-WNV-4NYC (1-877-968-4692). The number also offers information about upcoming spraying schedules.
The department recommends discouraging mosquitoes by removing old tires, coffee cans and other vessels that can harbor standing water from private property, making sure screens on windows and doors are intact, and using a repellent with the chemical DEET when outdoors at times of heavy mosquito activity.