West Nile Virus in Massachusetts: First Instance of Summer 2008

The public may not be quite as freaked out by West Nile Virus as it once was, but the disease is definitely still around. WNV was detected in mosquitoes in Worcester on June 27, marking the first time the virus has been found here in 2008. There were six cases of West Nile Virus in humans in Massachusetts in 2007. People over 50 are more likely to be seriously affected by the disease, which is usually transmitted by bites from infected mosquitoes.

The Department of Public Health has more information about the issue. Suggested modes of protection include staying inside during dawn and dusk (high periods of mosquito activity), wearing protective clothing, and using insect repellent. The DPH also suggests draining standing pools (mosquito breeding grounds), repairing screens, and reporting dead birds, which are notorious carriers of the disease.