BOSTON (WHDH) - Public health officials are urging residents to take caution after the West Nile Virus was detected in a mosquito in Boston for the first time this year.
The Boston Public Health Commission said a mosquito sample collected in Brighton on July 9 was found to contain the virus, which can potentially be fatal in humans. There were no human cases detected in Boston last year, and seven cases were detected in 2018.
Infections can lead to fever and flu-like symptoms and people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe disease. No human or other animal cases of West Nile Virus have been detected so far this year and there is no elevated risk, but officials urged residents to prevent mosquito bites.
Officials said residents should use mosquito repellent and wear long-sleeved clothes if they are outside at dawn and dusk, and prevent mosquitoes from breeding by emptying pools of standing water.
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