New Jersey has seen a sharp rise in human cases of West Nile virus this year.

Spraying is planned in Dumont, Lodi, Ridgefield Park and Teaneck.

One in five people infected will develop fever, headache, vomiting and other symptoms.

Bergen County will hold a news conference Friday to highlight mosquito control measures.

The state Department of Health has confirmed that a 62-year-old Lodi man was ill with West Nile when he died this month, the first fatality linked to the mosquito-borne virus in the state this year.

The Lodi resident was among 25 cases of West Nile virus reported in New Jersey so far in 2018. Bergen County has six reported cases, the most in the state. Morris and Passaic counties each have one reported case.

The Health Department does not name the victim, but family members and media reports have identified him as Fred Maikisch, a Little League coach and husband and father of two.

On Thursday, the Bergen County Executive's Office said agencies "have worked tirelessly to limit the amount of mosquitoes and mosquito borne illnesses in our area."

More cases of West Nile virus have been reported in the state this year than any year since 2012, when 48 people were diagnosed with the disease and six died. New Jersey has seen a sharp rise in the population of mosquitoes that carry the infection because of recent heavy rains and floods.

Warren Staudinger of Bergen County Mosquito Control said the county is spraying where human cases of West Nile have been found.

"We usually spray areas that are hot zones, near where human cases have been found. We go in and ... find mosquito pools that are positive for West Nile near where the human cases are," Staudinger said.

Dumont will be sprayed a second time on Sunday, and spraying is planned for Ridgefield Park and Teaneck on Friday

"If I could tell people anything it's that they need to get rid of standing water," he said.

In Lodi, the county performed “mosquito street treatment” last Saturday and will spray the same neighborhood this Saturday. The treatment will be performed on Route 46 east, south to Hunter Street and Main Street, and east to Oak Grove Avenue between 4 and 6 a.m. Residents in the area are encouraged to close their windows and bring pets inside during the treatment.

West Nile in Teaneck

Teaneck officials on Thursday sent an alert to residents that mosquito spraying would take place Friday "due to positive testing for West Nile virus." Residents south of Route 4 from Windsor Road to River Road, between North Street and Suffern Road, were advised to keep windows closed between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. Air conditioners can be used.

West Nile virus does not cause symptoms in most people, although one in five infected may develop a fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rash, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People over 60 years old are at greater risk for complications.

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To protect yourself from West Nile virus, the CDC suggests using insect repellents and wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants while outdoors. If using sunscreen, apply it before insect repellent.

The agency also recommends not using insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months old. Instead, parents should dress babies in clothing that covers arms and legs and cover strollers and baby carriers with mosquito netting.

The first human case in the state was confirmed in August.

The number of mosquito pools testing positive for West Nile virus also is the highest ever reported, and continues to increase, state health officials said. The virus affects birds, and more sick and dead birds have been reported than in previous years, they said.

Morris, Bergen and Hunterdon counties each reported that more than 100 mosquito pools tested positive for the virus. Typically, the northwestern part of the state does not see such high numbers of positive mosquito tests, state health officials said.

On Thursday, the Bergen County Executive's Office warned in a press release that, "Due to the rainy and warm weather we have experienced recently, mosquito season is not over. The County has seen high mosquito activity recently and has enhanced its efforts accordingly."

E-mail: sobko@northjersey.com Twitter @katesobko

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