Second human case of West Nile virus identified in Massachusetts

Key Points:

• Massachusetts has reported its second human case of West Nile virus this year, involving a man in his 60s from Middlesex County, following a previous case in a man in his 90s from the same area.
• Due to these cases and positive mosquito samples, the state's Department of Public Health has raised the West Nile virus risk level to high in several communities including Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Everett, Newton, Somerville, and Watertown.
• Health officials emphasize that older adults and those with compromised immune systems are at greater risk and recommend using insect repellent, wearing protective clothing, avoiding outdoor exposure during peak mosquito hours (dusk to dawn), and eliminating standing water around homes.
• So far this year, 184 mosquito samples testing positive for West Nile virus have been found across multiple Massachusetts counties, indicating widespread mosquito activity carrying the virus.
• Most people infected with West Nile virus show no symptoms, but about 20% may experience fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting, swollen lymph glands, or a skin rash; mosquitoes will remain active until the first hard frost.