The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced the 11th human case of West Nile virus (WNV) in the state this year. The person is a man in his 60s with recent out-of-state travel.
Although the person’s recent travel outside of Massachusetts means the exact location of exposure is uncertain, there is a possibility he could have been exposed within the Greater Boston area, which is already known to be at high risk for WNV.
Additionally, DPH announced today it is raising the Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) risk levels to high in Concord in Middlesex County due to two consecutive weeks of EEE-positive mosquito findings in species known to be able to spread the virus to humans. This is an expansion of an area already considered to be at high risk from EEE.
“It may be mid-September, but warm and humid weather continues across Massachusetts, keeping the risk of both EEE and West Nile elevated,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “There will continue to be risk from mosquito-borne disease until the first hard frost, and I encourage everyone to continue to take measures to protect themselves by using mosquito repellent with an EPA-registered active ingredient when outdoors, wearing long sleeves and pants, and being aware of peak mosquito hours.”
There have been 314 WNV-positive mosquito samples so far this year detected from Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, and Worcester counties. There have been 95 EEE-positive mosquito samples, four human cases, and two horse cases reported in Massachusetts so far this year.