The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced today that a human case of West Nile Virus has been diagnosed in our area.

“This October was the one of the warmest on record and this has kept the risk of mosquito-borne disease elevated,” said DPH Deputy State Epidemiologist Dr. Catherine Brown. “The season is winding down but mosquitoes remain a risk, especially during warm days. Risk of infection will continue until we have a hard freeze. ”

 Residents are reminded to continue to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites. These include using insect repellents; wearing long sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors; and avoiding outdoor activities during peak mosquito hours at dawn and dusk.

Please see the attached press release from MDPH for further information by clicking here.