West Nile virus kills 1 in New York, several states issue alert

West Nile virus has been increasingly spreading its base in the five boroughs of the Big Apple, namely Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. As per state officials, more mosquito pools infected with the virus have been identified this year compared to the five-year average.

16 cases have been reported across the five boroughs as of Friday, with the maximum number of cases in Queens, reported the city's Health Department.

On Friday, officials reported the first death due to the virus in Bergen County, New Jersey. Out of the eighth cases reported in the state so far, six had to be hospitalised, reported the New Jersey Health Department.

In 2022, 20 cases of the virus were reported in New Jersey with four of them proving to be fatal.

New York City, on the other hand, reported 46 cases last year, with two being fatal. Fortunately, no cases of the virus have been reported in New York so far.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the West Nile virus is the primary cause of mosquito-borne disease in the U.S., with most cases occurring during the summer and fall.

Data states that roughly one in five people infected with the virus develop symptoms. Additionally, only one in about 150 develops severe illness with symptoms like fever, muscle weakness, headache, altered mental status and paralysis.

Originating in 1937, the virus gets its name after the West Nile district of Uganda where it was first isolated. It is usually spread by mosquitoes that become infected when they feed on infected birds that often carry the disease. The virus is genetically related to the Japanese encephalitis family of viruses.

There is no human vaccine for the virus. According to health officials, the best way to protect yourself is to avoid mosquito bites. Also, mosquito populations can be reduced by preventing standing pools of water in gutters, swimming pools and buckets.

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