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Health Dep. Warns to Avoid Mosquito Bites After Death of 4-Year-Old

AP

State health officials are urging New Yorkers to take precautions to prevent mosquito bites after a 4-year-old girl in Oswego County died of a rare brain infection carried by the insects.

The parents of Maggie Wilcox of New Haven said in her obituary that the child died on Sunday of Eastern Equine Encephalitis. She’s the fifth person in 40 years to die from EEE virus in New York state. All were in central New York.

The state Health Department warned Monday that mosquitoes can also transmit West Nile virus. The agency said there have been no confirmed human cases of West Nile in New York this year but there were 13 last year.

The agency recommends that people use insect repellent outdoors and wear long pants and long sleeves.

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5 Comments

  • Moishe

    When West Nile was more prevalent I didn’t hesitate to kill mosquitoes on Shabbos & yom tov. It’s a mitzvah to protect life.

  • Declasse Intellectual

    Problem is city does not spray, and where there are tendencies for mosquitos a personal repellant should be used especially for children and there are ways to apply them to children on Shabbos for their safety because mosquitos carry other possible infectious dideases

  • bad boy skeeters!

    While I surely agree with #4 about the pertinance of Tznius, I must point out that the mosquitos, yimach shmam, can easily bite through heavy fabric such as jeans and denim.
    Try a spoon of vinegar daily before outdoor activity…