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West Nile Infects 2 Nassau Residents o 03 o o o o c 3 CD By Bryn Nelson the temperature is no lower than 60 degrees Fahr- province of Ontario. Among humans, 33 confirmed Zi STAFF WRITER enheit and the wind is less than 10 miles per hour, or presumptive West Nile infections have been re- Two Nassau residents have been preliminarily di­ she said. ; ported from seven states, including New York, New agnosed with the West Nile virus, marking the first Nassau County officials haye intensified their Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, suspected human cases in the county this year. surveillance in both Valley Stream and East Mead- Georgia and Florida. Of those patients for which Suffolk has one confirmed case. ow, both of which have reported West Nile activity ages are available, more than 80 percent were at in either mosquito or bird populations. The county least 60 years old and more than half were at lea'St A 75-year-old Valley Stream woman experienced may also apply more treatments to destroy mosqui- 70 years old. Several remain hospitalized. One a fever and confusion on Aug. 28 and was hospital­ to larvae. i death has been reported; a 71-year-old Atlanta ized two days later. She has since fully recovered. Health officials warn that, although cooler weath- woman. The other patient, a 77-year-old East Meadow man er has reduced the threat of West Nile infection. In Florida, where officials have confirmed seven who showed symptoms of fever, muscle pain, nau­ two consecutiye frosts are required before the re- human cases and issued West Nile health alerts for sea and confusion on Sept. 14, was hospitalized the maining mosquitoes are killed or forced into an nearly three-fourths of the state, Reuters reported next day. He remains listed in critical condition. “overwintering” state of inactivity. Until then, the that flight restrictions in the wake of the Sept. 11 Nassau County Department of Health spokes­ number of infected humans — Especially in warmer terrorist attacks have hampered aerial pesti- woman Cynthia Brown said results of confirmatory regions — is expected to climb.! cide-spraying efforts, forcing mosquito-control tests for both patients, being conducted by the West Nile activity has now been confirmed in 25 workers to use slower and more costly ground state Department of Health, may not be available states, the District of Columbia and the Canadian spraying. for several weeks. The county is continuing to track an unspecified number of other potential human cases, she said. Last week. New York City Department of Health officials confirmed the city’s fourth and fifth human cases of West Nile viral infection this year in a 69-year-old Brooklyn woman and 51-year-old Queens man. Both are recovering. The Suffolk case cla.v( was diagnosed earlier this month: a 49-year-old Nesconset woman, who has since recovered. Although most individuals infected with the virus remain symptom-free or experience only mild symptoms, those at least 50 years of age are at greater risk of a more serious illness, including po­ tentially fatal brain swelling. Brown said Nassau County has no immediate plans to spray pesticides. She cited low mosquito counts, windy conditions and cool temperatures as factors that reduce both mosquito activity and the effectiveness of any pesticide application. Guide­ lines suggest spraying in the absence of rain when