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BOSTON (CBS) – The Massachusetts Department of Public Health on Friday raised the risk level of West Nile virus from moderate to high in 27 towns and villages in the Boston area. The decision was made based on four recent human cases and the first animal case found in an alpaca in Middlesex County.
Health officials are seeing an increase in the population of Culex mosquitoes, which carry the virus, and say recent rainy weather conditions are favorable for mosquito activity.
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Communities that see their level of risk increasing are Lynnfield and Saugus, in Essex County; Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Burlington, Cambridge, Everett, Lexington, Lincoln, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Newton, Reading, Somerville, Stoneham, Wakefield, Waltham, Watertown, Winchester and Woburn in Middlesex County; Brookline in Norfolk County; and Boston, Chelsea, Revere and Winthrop in Suffolk County.
Click here to view the statewide West Nile virus risk map.
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“September is the month when we are most likely to see people infected with West Nile virus,” Acting Public Health Commissioner Margret Cooke said in a statement. “While we advise everyone to take steps to avoid mosquito bites, this is especially important if you are over 50 or have an immune deficiency. It’s also important to know that as nighttime temperatures cool down, mosquito activity just at dusk and dawn may be more intense. “
Most people infected with West Nile virus have no symptoms, but people 50 years of age and older are at a higher risk of getting serious illness. Symptoms can include fever and flu-like symptoms.
People can avoid mosquito bites by using a repellant, wearing long-sleeved clothing and pants, and staying indoors during peak mosquito hours at dusk and dawn.
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