Twelfth Human West Nile Virus Case Confirmed in Massachusetts

 

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH)announced the 12th human case of West Nile virus (WNV) in the state this year. The individual is a man in his 50s exposed in Essex County.

As a result, WNV risk levels in the following communities are being raised to moderate: Beverly, Danvers, Essex, Manchester, Peabody, Salem, and Wenham in Essex County.

“This has been an active year for mosquito-borne disease, including West Nile virus,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “The risk for disease will continue until the first hard frost, so we continue to recommend that people take steps to protect themselves.”

There have been 330 WNV-positive mosquito samples so far this year detected from Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, and Worcester counties. Last year, there were six human cases of WNV and no animal cases. No animal cases of WNV have been detected so far this year.