New York City officials have confirmed that two crows infected with the West Nile virus were found on Staten Island, New York City. 23 other infected crows have been found in outlying areas. The virus was also present in 32 mosquitoes collected in Westchester and Suffolk Counties.
While the numbers are small (out of the thousands of mosquitoes and birds tested) they show that the West Nile virus — never seen in North America before 1999 — has survived the winter and is again spreading.
In 1999, it caused the deaths of seven people in the New York area.
