Friday, September 7, 2012
A Worcester resident in his 60s with severe underlying medical conditions was diagnosed with WNV in mid-August and has since died of the illness.
The first death of a Massachusetts resident due to West Nile Virus (WNV) since 2005 and additional human cases have led state officials to raise the threat level statewide to at least 'moderate." A Worcester resident in his 60s with severe underlying medical conditions was diagnosed with WNV in mid-August and has since died of the illness, the state Department of Public Health (DPH) announced on Friday. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of this gentleman during this difficult time," Worcester Division of Public Health Acting Commissioner Dr. Michael Hirsh said in a DPH press release. "While we have been fortunate that we have seen a very low number of human West Nile cases, on rare occasion WNV can be very serious. …
Thursday, September 6, 2012
A Middlesex County woman in her 30s is the latest infected with West Nile Virus, according to the Massachusetts Health and Human Services Department. Nine human cases of West Nile Virus have been found in Massachusetts, compared to six in 2011.
A Middlesex County woman in her 30s is the latest infected by West Nile Virus, according to a press statement by the Massachusetts Health and Human Services Department. The woman is the most recent human case of West Nile Virus, according to the statement. Nine human cases of West Nile Virus have been found in Massachusetts, compared to six in 2011. “These results show that the threat of mosquito-borne illness remains a serious concern across the state,” said DPH State Epidemiologist Dr. Al DeMaria in the statement. “We need to continue to take steps to protect ourselves against mosquito bites: use insect repellant, cover up, and avoid outdoor activities at dusk and after nightfall when mosquitoes are at their most active.” Meanwhile, a …
Friday, August 31, 2012
Officials are urging the public to take precautions against West Nile virus.
Three more human cases of West Nile Virus have been confirmed in Middlesex County and the threat level is being raised in several communitites, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. In response, the DPH has raised the WNV threat level to "high" in the following communities: Chelsea, Everett, Lexington, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Revere, Saugus and Winthrop. Also, the threat level is being raised to "moderate" in other towns: Bedford, Burlington, Lincoln, Stoneham, Wakefield, Winchester and Woburn. WNV mosquito cases have been confirmed in 97 towns statewide this year and the state on pace to have the highest number of cases since 2000, according to the DPH. This week we reported that infected mosquitoes were found in…
Thursday, August 30, 2012
The Burlington Board of Health is advising residents of how to avoid mosquito bites after infected insects were found in town.
As it has in many area communities, the West Nile Virus has been found in mosquitoes in Burlington. According to a release by the Board of Health, which was carried on The Daily Times Chronicle, the virus was found in mosquitoes collected in town on Aug. 22. According to the Board of Health, West Nile Virus infected mosquitoes have been found in 67 Massachusetts communities from nine counties so far during 2012 including Billerica, Reading, Waltham, Chelmsford, Tewksbury, and Wakefield. Cases of human infection of West Nile Virus are up around the entire country this year. ABC News reported today that the CDC said there have been a total of 1,590 reported cases of West Nile virus in the United States, a 40 percent rise from last week's …
Thursday, August 18, 2011
A statement from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health on mosquito tests and preventing bites.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) announced today that West Nile virus (WNV) has been detected in mosquitoes collected from the Town of Belmont and Burlington. According to the release, statewide last year, 3,558 mosquito samples were tested for WNV and only 121 samples were positive. WNV is most commonly transmitted to humans by the bite of a mosquito infected with the virus. While WNV can infect people of all ages, people over the age of fifty are at higher risk for severe infection. The virus is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito, most often the Culex mosquito, the release states. The mosquitoes that carry this virus are common throughout the state, and are found in urban as well as more rural…
