A 72-year-old man and a 71-year-old woman have been infected with West Nile virus in the Suffolk county, eastern UK, according to county health officials as quoted by media reports Friday.

Beside, a new suspected case in a 55-year-old woman was also reported by the officials, thus bringing the number of suspected West Nile virus cases in the county in 2008 to five.

However, the Department of Health of Suffolk is conducting tests to determine whether those individuals are actually stricken with West Nile.

The man got sick on Sept. 10. He is now in serious but stable condition at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital in East Patchogue, waiting for further tests and confirmation.

The woman is recovering at home after being hospitalized with a fever earlier this month.

There are now 14 probable or confirmed cases of the disease in Suffolk, including three deaths, the health officials said.

Last week, the county conducted aerial spraying against the mosquitoes, the carrier of the potentially deadly virus. Situation would be assessed this week to know sure if the spraying was effective or not, the officials announced.

(Xinhua News Agency September 19, 2008)