As aerial spraying for mosquitoes continues, more people are affected by the potentially deadly virus. Reports reveal that elderly people face a higher risk of contracting the virus and falling ill. There has been reported a series of cases of infection involving individuals over the age of 50, the Health Care Agency said in a press statement.

The most recent cases of West Nile virus infections are a 90-year old Mineola man who died after experiencing “clinical symptoms” of the virus, and a 66-year-old Lower Bucks woman who contracted a more severe form of West Nile virus.

The cases are two of four new human West Nile virus cases the state Department of Environmental Protection confirmed Tuesday. The others are in Delaware and Philadelphia counties.

So far this year, Nassau health officials said there have been 11 cases of West Nile in the county.

As the West Nile season continues, new problems emerge. Aerial spraying may not be effective and environmental groups warn that the pesticide Scourge, which contains resmethrin and piperonyl butoxide, poses a health hazard.

Health officials remind residents that September is still a high-risk period for exposure to the virus which is transmitted through mosquito bites.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has received reports of 413 cases of West Nile virus including five deaths from the infections, one in Arizona, and the other in Mississippi, two in California and the fifth in New York.