West Nile virus found in Dorchester, Hyde Park
Boston public health officials say mosquitoes infected with the West Nile virus have been found in both the north Dorchester and Hyde Park sections of Boston.
Infected mosquitoes had been found earlier this year in north Dorchester and West Roxbury.
The number of positive mosquito tests suggests that WNV is "likely to be present throughout the city," the Boston Public Health Commission said in a statement.
So far this year, there has been one human case of WNV in Boston: a 46-year-old Boston woman. Her case was confirmed Friday, and she has since recovered.
Officials said larvicide had been placed in catch basins to reduce the number of mosquitoes, and spraying had been done in parts of some neighborhoods, but there were no plans to extend spraying throughout the city.
West Nile virus is a potentially serious illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control website. Four out of five people are not affected. Most of the remainder have milder symptoms, including fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and vomiting. But for a small number of people, the virus can cause symptoms that include high fever, coma, convulsions, vision loss, paralysis, and permanent neurological damage.
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