Mass. confirms eighth human case of West Nile virus

Key Points:

• A woman in her 30s is the eighth person to test positive for West Nile virus in Massachusetts, having been exposed in Middlesex County, where other cases have also been reported this year.
• The Department of Public Health has designated a high risk level for West Nile virus in several Boston-area communities, including Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, and others, while most of the state remains at moderate risk.
• The eight cases include one woman and seven men ranging in age from their 50s to 90s, with exposures reported in Middlesex, Suffolk, and Worcester counties; no animal cases have been confirmed.
• West Nile virus has been detected in 327 mosquito samples across all Massachusetts counties except Nantucket, with the first positive samples announced in mid-June; Eastern equine encephalitis has been found in 21 mosquito samples but no human or animal cases.
• Public health officials recommend protective measures such as wearing long sleeves, using insect repellent, and eliminating standing water to reduce mosquito breeding and lower the risk of infection.