Protect yourself against increasing number of infected mosquitoes, Hochul warns

August 30, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

This 2014 photo made available by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a feeding female Anopheles funestus mosquito. Photo: James Gathany/CDC via AP

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NEW YORK — BETTER USE BUG REPELLANT, Gov. Kathy Hochul advised New York residents and visitors Friday in a video posted to Instagram. There are currently 20 reported human cases of West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease in New York, with half of these in New York City. To date, the city Health Department has detected 1,486 mosquito pools infected with West Nile in all five boroughs, including 277 in Brooklyn. Another mosquito-borne disease, deadly Eastern equine encephalitis (which infects both people and horses) has been detected in 14 horses statewide, though no humans yet. Approximately a third of patients who develop EEE die, while many who survive experience neurologic impairment — and there is no cure, only prevention, New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said.

“Although mosquito bites are often viewed as one of life’s little annoyances, this year we are seeing more positive mosquitoes than usual,” McDonald said in a release. He recommended wearing insect repellant, removing standing water and wearing long-sleeve, protective clothing until at least the end of September.

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