New cases of people testing positive for the West Nile virus have been announced by the Department of Health.

According to the health officials, two people in New York were hospitalized due to the virus, a 72-year-old woman from Queens, who is still under careful medical care and a 60-year-old man from Bronx, who was released from the hospital yesterday.

The virus is mainly known for infecting birds, but it can also cause problems for humans, horses, rabbits, cats, dogs and several other animals.

The human infection appears through the bite of an infected mosquito and the authorities requested New Yorkers to wear protective clothing, screen their windows and use a special insect repellent that contains DEET, in order to make sure that they avoid an extremely unpleasant and potentialy dangerous situation.

The known effects of the virus take three forms, as an asymptomatic infection, a mild febrile state and a neuroinvasive disease known as West Nile meningitis or encephalitis. The febrile state includes besides the fever, headaches, excessive sweating, chills, drowsiness and weakness. In some of the cases there were reported vomiting, nausea and diarrhea.

The patients with encephalitis, which is by far the worse form of the disease, experience a decreased level of consciousness, sometimes resembling the coma cases. The recovery demands a long period of convalescence worsen by fatigue.

As the virus was reported in several areas across the country, the authorities are looking for the quickest and most efficient way of dealing with the issue, first of all by addressing the public to make sure that the needed information on the matter is widely avalable.