West Nile virus discovered on New York beach

The first case of West Nile virus of the year has been detected at a popular beach and campground in New York, officials said Friday.

The virus was found in a mosquito sample collected from a trap at Watch Hill in Fire Island National Seashore, a 30-mile-long barrier island off Long Island, the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) said.

Watch Hill is a popular campground on federal land between Davis Park and the Fire Island Wilderness, and the trap was part of a joint mosquito surveillance program between the NPS and the Suffolk County Department of Health Services – Arthropod-Borne Disease Laboratory.

West Nile virus was first confirmed in New York State in 1999—the same year the virus first entered the United States. According to the CDC, the virus is the most common cause of mosquito-borne illness in the country.

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The virus is most commonly transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.

Symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea or rash, although the vast majority – about 80% – of people infected with WNV do not show any symptoms. There are no vaccines or treatments for the virus.

Fire Island National Seashore is a 30-mile-long, half-mile-wide barrier island off Long Island, New York. (National Park Service)

Last year, more than 1,800 people in the United States were hospitalized because of the virus, resulting in 182 deaths, according to CDC data.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the public face of the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic, was hospitalized with West Nile virus earlier this month, a spokesman for Fauci told Fox News on Saturday. Fauci, 83, later returned home where he was recuperating and is expected to make a full recovery, the spokesman said.

Officials advised visitors to avoid areas with high mosquito populations and to wear clothing that covers the body, such as pants, socks and long-sleeved shirts. (National Park Service)

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In the meantime, the NPS and Suffolk County will continue the weekly mosquito surveillance program to monitor the severity and extent of the virus on the coast. Watch Hill will also have increased surveillance.

If a threat to human health is identified, control methods such as larvae control, spraying or area closures may be used, the NPS said.

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Park officials said visitors to Fire Island National Seashore should avoid areas with large mosquito populations, wear protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts, socks and long pants, and use insect repellent with at least 30% DEET.

Fox Digital's Michael Dorgan and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.