West Nile Virus Risk Level 'High' In Greater Boston After New MA Case

BROOKLINE, MA — The West Nile virus risk was raised to "high" in four Greater Boston communities on Friday after the second case of West Nile virus was found in a human.

The state Department of Public Health said the man in his 70s was exposed to the virus in Suffolk County.

As a result of the case, the DPH raised the risk level for Boston, Brookline, Cambridge and Somerville to "high."

In 2021, there were 11 human cases of WNV infection identified in Massachusetts. WNV is usually transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.

While WNV can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe disease.

No human or animal cases of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) have been detected so far this year in Massachusetts.

Residents across the state — and especially in Suffolk County — are advised to take preventative measures against exposure to West Nile virus. These include wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants when possible, using insect repellent with DEET, permethrin, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus, and considering reducing outdoor activities and dawn and dusk when mosquito activity is at its highest.

Residents are also asked to remove standing water from areas around homes that ask as breeding grounds for mosquitos.

Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)