NYC reports first cases of West Nile Virus for 2023

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Matthew Vanderpool, environmental health specialist and entomologist for the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, displays a mosquito collected earlier in the day on August 25, 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Jon Cherry/

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NEW YORK - New York City health official announced Wednesday that West Nile Virus was detected in people and in mosquito pools for the first time in 2023.

The New York City Department of Health reported that three people living in the city tested postie for the virus, two from Queens and one from Manhattan. All three people were hospitalized and two have been discharged. A fourth person who may also have contracted the virus is under investigation.

Across the city, officials say that a total of 569 mosquito pools have tested positive across the five boroughs, compared to 1,068 positive pools detected this time last year.

"We are working to prevent West Nile virus as much as possible through public education, treating marshy areas and spraying for mosquitoes," Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said in a statement. "As New Yorkers, we can take some simple precautions to lower our risk. For example, use an EPA-registered insect repellent, especially when outside at dusk and dawn when the types of mosquitoes that transmit West Nile Virus are most active. In addition, you can stop mosquitoes from laying eggs in the water by emptying outdoor containers that hold water or calling 311 if you see standing water that you cannot empty."

So far this year, a total of 247 cases of West Nile Virus have been reported in the United States, with 13 deaths.

Most people infected with West Nile virus have no symptoms at all or develop fever and other symptoms including headache, muscle aches, rash and extreme fatigue.