New Yorker tests positive for West Nile virus, NYC health department says

A New Yorker has tested positive for West Nile virus, the city health department announced Wednesday.

This is the first reported human case of West Nile virus in the city so far this year, health officials say.

According to the health department, the patient contracted the virus after spending time outdoors in the city and several locations outside the city.

West Nile virus is not contagious and can only be caught by being bitten by an infected mosquito, health officials say.

The health department tests for infected mosquitoes by collecting the insects from hundreds of locations across the city. According to the health department, nearly twice as many sample groups of mosquitoes tested positive for West Nile virus this year compared to the same time last year.

The virus has been detected in mosquitoes across all five boroughs since June, health officials say, and targeted mosquito control operations have been conducted in some neighborhoods where the virus was detected.

According to the health department, mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus are detected in the city every year from June through October.

New Yorkers are encouraged to try to avoid getting mosquito bites by wearing insect repellent when spending time outdoors, making sure your skin is covered if you're outside at dawn or dusk, and getting rid of any standing water around your home.

Experts say West Nile virus symptoms can include fever, headache, muscle aches, rash and fatigue, though most people who are infected have no symptoms. Anyone who has symptoms should contact their healthcare provider.

In some cases, the virus can lead to West Nile neuroinvasive disease, which can be fatal, health officials say. People over the age of 60 and immunocompromised individuals are most at risk of developing the disease.

More information about West Nile virus is available on the city health department's website at nyc.gov/mosquito.