Arlington Now At 'High' Risk For West Nile Virus

ARLINGTON, MA — The town of Arlington is now considered "high risk" for West Nile Virus, Public Health Director Natasha Waden said Saturday.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health raised risk levels from moderate to high in communities in Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk and Suffolk counties due to increasing virus activity.

In Massachusetts, there have been four human cases of West Nile Virus and one case in an animal this year, all in Middlesex County. The virus was found in mosquitoes collected from Arlington in early August.

Mosquitoes are most prevalent from May to August, but remain active until the first time temperatures fall below freezing. West Nile Virus is most commonly transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. The mosquitoes that carry this virus are common throughout the state and are found in urban as well as more rural areas.

While West Nile can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe infection. Most people infected with the virus will have no symptoms, but these can include fever and flu-like illness. More severe illness can occur in rare cases.

Arlington HHS encourages residents to take the following precautions to help protect themselves:

Avoid mosquito bites:

• Use insect repellent with DEET any time you are outdoors. Be sure to follow the application directions on the label.
• Be aware of peak mosquito hours, which are generally from dusk to dawn. Consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning.
• Wear protective clothing when outdoors during peak mosquito hours such as long sleeves, long pants, high socks, hats with netting to cover the face, and any other clothing that will cover exposed skin.

Mosquito-proof your home:

• Make sure screens are repaired and are tightly attached to doors and windows.
• Remove standing water from places such as buckets, wading pools, puddles, ditches, bird baths and gutters, which are breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Information about WNV and reports of current and historical WNV activity in Massachusetts can be found on the DPH website.