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DPH: Eight Massachusetts communities now at high risk from West Nile virus

Public health officials warned Friday that eight communities in Massachusetts are now at high risk for West Nile virus. According to the Department of Public Health, that increased risk level applies to Boston in Suffolk County and Abington, Brockton, East Bridgewater, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester and Whitman in Plymouth County. The risk is considered moderate throughout Bristol, Norfolk and the rest of Plymouth County, as well as parts of Barnstable, Berkshire, Essex, Hampden, Middlesex, Plymouth and Worcester counties, the DPH said. The virus is typically transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. “The risk from (West Nile virus) is pretty widespread this year,” said state epidemiologist Dr. Catherine M. Brown. “In addition to recommending that people use mosquito repellent with an EPA-registered active ingredient and wear clothing to reduce exposed skin, check your window screens for holes and empty any containers in your yard that collect water.” There have been six human cases of West Nile virus in 2023, MassDPH said. So far this year, two human cases and none have been confirmed in animals. The first reported human case in 2024 occurred on Aug. 6 in Hampden County, and the second on Aug. 12 in Middlesex County. A total of 262 virus-positive mosquito samples have been detected so far from Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Hampden, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk and Worcester counties. The first positive samples were announced on July 2. While most people do not become seriously ill from the virus, health officials say it can be dangerous for people with certain medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease and organ transplants. Health officials are also concerned about the risk of Eastern equine encephalomyelitis, another mosquito-borne disease. It is a rare but serious and potentially fatal illness that can cause long-term physical and mental complications in survivors. In Plymouth, where the risk of Eastern equine encephalomyelitis is considered high, city officials announced that all public parks and fields will be closed from dusk to dawn starting Friday. Mosquito control in those parks and fields will begin early next week. MassDPH safety tips to protect yourself from mosquitoes: Avoid mosquito bites. Apply insect repellent when outdoors. Use a repellent with an EPA-registered ingredient such as DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023) or lemon eucalyptus oil (p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD) or IR3535) according to the directions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and in older children at concentrations of 30 percent or less. Lemon eucalyptus oil should not be used on children under three years of age. Be aware of peak mosquito times. The hours between dusk and dawn are peak times for many mosquito bites. Consider moving outdoor activities that take place in the evening or early morning in high-risk areas. Clothing can reduce mosquito bites. Wearing long sleeves, long pants and socks outdoors will keep mosquitoes off your skin. Mosquito-proof your home. Drain standing water. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of mosquito breeding sites around your home by emptying or disposing of items that collect water. Check gutters and drains. Empty unused flower pots and wading pools, and change the water in birdbaths regularly. Install or repair fly screens. Keep mosquitoes out by installing tight-fitting screens on all windows and doors. Protect your animalsPet owners should reduce potential mosquito breeding sites on their property by removing standing water from containers such as buckets, tires, and wading pools—especially after heavy rains. Water troughs provide excellent mosquito breeding sites and should be flushed out at least once a week during the summer months to reduce mosquito numbers near paddocks. Horse owners should keep their horses indoor stalls at night to reduce the risk of mosquito contamination. Owners should also talk to their veterinarian about mosquito repellents approved for use in animals and vaccinations to prevent West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalomyelitis. If WNV or EEE is suspected in an animal, owners are required to report it to the Department of Agricultural Resources, Division of Animal Health at 617-626-1795 and the Department of Public Health at 617-983-6800.

BOSTON —

Public health officials warned Friday that eight communities in Massachusetts are currently at high risk for West Nile virus.

According to the health department, this increased risk level applies to Boston in Suffolk County and Abington, Brockton, East Bridgewater, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester and Whitman in Plymouth County.

The risk is considered moderate throughout Bristol, Norfolk and the rest of Plymouth County, as well as parts of Barnstable, Berkshire, Essex, Hampden, Middlesex, Plymouth and Worcester, the DPH said.

The virus is usually transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.

“The risk from West Nile virus is quite widespread this year,” said state epidemiologist Dr. Catherine M. Brown. “In addition to using mosquito repellent with an EPA-approved active ingredient and wearing clothing to reduce exposed skin, we recommend checking your window screens to make sure they don't have holes in them and emptying any containers that collect water in your yard.”

According to MassDPH, there have been six human cases of West Nile virus in 2023. So far this year, two cases have been confirmed in humans and none in animals.

The first reported human case of 2024 was on August 6 in Hampden County and the second was reported on August 12 in Middlesex County.

So far, a total of 262 virus-positive mosquito samples have been discovered from Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Hampden, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk and Worcester counties. The first positive samples were announced on July 2.

While most people do not become seriously ill from the virus, health officials caution that it can be dangerous for people with certain medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease and organ transplants.

Health officials are also concerned about the risk of Eastern equine encephalomyelitis, another mosquito-borne disease. It is a rare but serious and potentially fatal illness that can cause long-term physical and mental complications in survivors.

In Plymouth, where the risk from EEE is considered high, city officials announced that all public parks and fields would be closed from dusk to dawn starting Friday. Mosquito control in those parks and fields will begin early next week.

Mosquito safety tips from MassDPH:

Avoid mosquito bites

Apply insect repellent outdoors. Use an insect repellent with an EPA-registered ingredient such as DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), or oil of lemon eucalyptus (p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD) or IR3535) according to the directions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and on older children at concentrations of 30 percent or less. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age.

Be aware of peak mosquito bite times. The hours between dusk and dawn are peak bite times for many mosquitoes. Consider postponing outdoor activities that take place in the evening or early morning in high-risk areas.

Clothing can reduce mosquito bites. Wearing long-sleeved clothing, long pants and socks outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.

Make your home mosquito-proof

Drain standing water. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of mosquito breeding sites around your home by draining or disposing of items that collect water. Check gutters and drains. Empty unused flower pots and wading pools, and change the water in birdbaths regularly.

Install or repair fly screens. Keep mosquitoes out by fitting tight-fitting fly screens on all windows and doors.

Protect your animals

Animal owners should reduce potential mosquito breeding sites on their property by removing standing water from containers such as buckets, tires and wading pools – especially after heavy rains. Water troughs provide excellent mosquito breeding sites and should be flushed out at least once a week during the summer months to reduce mosquito numbers near paddocks. Horse owners should keep their horses indoors at night to reduce the risk of mosquito exposure. Owners should also talk to their veterinarian about pet-approved mosquito repellents and vaccinations to prevent West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis.

If WNV or EEE is suspected in an animal, owners are required to report it to the Department of Agricultural Resources' Animal Health Division at 617-626-1795 and to the Department of Public Health at 617-983-6800.

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