Romney issues West Nile alert for state

State public health officials confirmed yesterday the first two human cases of West Nile virus in the state since 2003 as Governor Mitt Romney warned residents to take precautions against mosquito bites.

Romney issued a public health alert for both West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalitis, which humans can contract from bites from two different kinds of mosquitoes.

Lab tests confirmed that a 33-year-old Boston woman and a 56-year-old Newton woman have contracted West Nile virus.

The Boston woman, who became ill Sept. 1, has recovered after five days in the hospital. The Newton woman became ill Sept. 4 and remains hospitalized.

Also this year, the state has recorded four cases of the Eastern equine encephalitis virus, two of which resulted in deaths. New Hampshire has had five cases of the virus and one death.

Public health officials said it is rare to have this many infections so late in the summer.

''It hasn't gone away," Romney said. ''In fact, this incidence so late in the year is somewhat unprecedented. We don't quite know where this is going to go."

Dr. Alfred DeMaria, chief medical officer for the Department of Public Health, said aerial spraying is not necessary because mosquitoes tend to stay lower to the ground in cooler weather.

Since 2001, Massachusetts has had 49 confirmed cases of West Nile virus and nine cases of Eastern equine encephalitis, including four fatalities.