STERNBERG: West Nile Virus
Column by Dr. Richard Sternberg
West Nile Virus
To add to all the other viruses that we have had to think about, COVID, monkeypox, polio, we can add West Nile Virus (WNV) which is now endemic in the New York City area.
This is not yet affecting us in Otsego County and surrounding areas and probably won’t. While it is transmitted to humans by mosquitos, the reservoir, the source and reproduction site for the virus is various bird species. There is no treatment but the most obvious prevention is to kill the mosquitos that infect people.
In the city, NYC health officials found the virus in mosquitos in over 1,100 pools of water. They have initiated widespread spraying to kill them. Additionally, epidemics of WNV die off where the weather is too cold for the mosquitos.
