Photo: Massachusetts Department of Public Health
REVERE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — State health officials confirmed two more human cases of West Nile Virus on Tuesday.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), six people in the Commonwealth have gotten West Nile Virus in 2024. Of the two new cases, one was a man in his 50s in Suffolk County, the other was a man in his 80s in Middlesex County.
“The risk of West Nile virus in Massachusetts will continue until the first hard frost. While the temperatures may be a bit cooler, September is still within the peak time for West Nile virus activity in Massachusetts,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD.
State health officials have elevated West Nile Virus risk levels in parts of Plymouth, Norfolk, Suffolk and Middlesex Counties. However, mosquito samples have come back positive in every county besides Franklin County and Hampshire County.
To avoid getting mosquito bites, the DPH recommends using bug spray with an EPA-registered ingredient, avoiding outdoor activities at dusk and dawn and wearing long sleeves. To protect your home, officials recommend repairing screens and draining standing water.
WBZ’s James Rojas asked residents in Revere, Mass., where the risk level has been elevated to high, if they were concerned about the uptick in cases.
“I have two really young kids, so it definitely scares me,” said one woman.
“If it’s in your backyard, you cannot even enjoy [sitting] in your backyard. You have to run inside, you know, and spray big spray and all that.
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.
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