West Nile Virus Found Present In Arlington Mosquito

ARLINGTON, MA — The state’s Department of Public Health announced that West Nile Virus has been discovered in mosquito samples from Arlington.

West Nile is a potentially fatal virus that is transferred from mosquitoes to humans. It can present itself in symptoms such as headache, high fever, neck stiffness, muscle weakness, stupor, disorientation, tremors, seizures, paralysis, and coma.

The year’s first case of West Nile was discovered in the Central Massachusetts town of Lunenberg when a goat was diagnosed with it. In 2024, only one mosquito tested positive for carrying the virus in Arlington in 2024.

To minimize mosquito presence, the town is advising people to do things such as applying insect repellent and draining any standing water that attracts them.