Weymouth Reports West Nile Virus Detected In Mosquito Sample

WEYMOUTH, MA —Weymouth officials said they were told on Tuesday of a mosquito in town that tested positive for West Nile virus.

The mosquito was part of a batch that was tested on Aug. 12.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which confirmed the positive test has seen a surge in mosquito-borne virus positive tests in mosquitoes and humans in recent weeks.

West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalitis are viruses that occur in Massachusetts and can cause illness ranging from a mild fever to more serious disease like encephalitis or meningitis. There are other diseases spread by mosquitoes that people may be exposed to when traveling in other regions of the world.

Residents are urged to restrict outdoor activities between dawn and dusk, wear long-sleeve pants and other clothing that covers as much skin as possible at those times and remove standing water — a mosquito breeding ground — from yards.

The West Nile virus test comes the week that the third case of Eastern equine encephalitis was confirmed in the state this season in Halifax.

Officials with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health raised the risk level for EEE in Halifax from "high" to "critical." The risk levels in East Bridgewater and Hanson have also been raised to high.

Across the state, there are now four Massachusetts towns deemed a critical risk for EEE: Carver, Halifax, Middleborough and Wilbraham. Three of the those four towns, Carver, Halifax and Middleborough, are in Plymouth County.

State health officials said they found EEE in 64 mosquito samples this season. More than 70 percent of them were in species of mosquitoes capable of spreading the virus to humans.