Twelve confirmed cases in area residents have been reported with three deaths. The Department of Health is currently investigating approximately 103 additional cases. Nine of the 12 cases are from Queens, two are from the Bronx, and one is from Brooklyn. In addition, the Westchester County Department of Health has confirmed three cases of St. Louis Encephalitis and one probable case among residents of Mount Vernon, Yonkers and Port Chester.
Mosquitoes feed on wild birds and occasionally pass the virus on to humans.
Transmission occurs most often through the bite of a Culex migrapalpus mosquito. Most cases occur in July and August. Geographically, SLE virus is found in the Americas and the Caribbean. In Canada, the virus was first isolated in 1971. Since 1977, there has been no clear evidence of SLE virus activity in Canada.