Health & Fitness
West Nile Virus Hits MA: Middlesex County Man Year's 1st Victim
Massachusetts health officials said a man in his 60s contracted West Nile virus. Seven others have contracted Eastern equine encephalitis.
State health officials said the first human case of West Nile virus this year has been confirmed. The victim is a man in his 60s from Middlesex County, the Department of Public Health said. The man was hospitalized, but his current condition is unknown.
The state has already seen seven cases of Eastern equine encephalitis virus, another severe illness carried by mosquitos. A 5-year-old girl in Sudbury was the latest to contract the virus, which can be deadly.
There were 49 human cases of West Nile in Massachusetts last year. The virus is transmitted by mosquito bites.
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