Watertown Residents At High-Risk For West Nile Virus

WATERTOWN, MA — The City of Watertown issued an alert Friday, raising the West Nile virus Risk level for Watertown and surrounding communities to high.

The Department of Public Health suggests people over 50 and the immunocompromised are at greater risk for severe illness.

West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the United States. The CDC says it is commonly spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito, during mosquito season - the summer and into the fall.

While there are no vaccines or medications to prevent or treat WNV, most people infected do not feel sick, and only 1 out of 150 people who are infected develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness.

The CDC says you can reduce your risk of contracting the disease by using insect repellent and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants to prevent mosquito bites.