West Nile Virus Detected In Rockland County

The Rockland County Department of Health announced that the New York State Department of Health has confirmed this season’s first positive pool of mosquitoes for West Nile Virus in Rockland.  

As part of the County’s ongoing mosquito surveillance efforts, the infected mosquitoes were collected from a surveillance trap in the Town of Orangetown during the week of June 30th and the sample was submitted for testing on July 7th. So far this year, 183 mosquito pools have been submitted for testing.  No human cases have been reported so far, and is unlikely as the most recent confirmed human case in Rockland was in 2023.

“This time of year, we see more mosquito activity, which increases the risk of West Nile Virus. Our team works actively to locate mosquito breeding sites and apply larvicide to reduce mosquito populations and the risk of mosquito-borne disease,” said Dr. Mary Leahy, Rockland County Commissioner of Health.

Most mosquitoes do not carry WNV. However, a bite from an infected mosquito can lead to serious illness, especially in people 50 and older, or those with weakened immune systems.  Symptoms may include:

• milder flu-like illness, including fever, headache, body aches
• nausea
• occasionally a skin rash and swollen lymph glands
• neurological disease (e.g., encephalitis or meningitis) in severe cases

If you have symptoms of WNV, see your doctor right away.