West Nile virus found in Newton mosquitoes

By Sarah Thomas, Town Correspondent

West Nile Virus has been detected in mosquitoes collected in Newton, city health officials said today.

Tests by the Newton Department of Health and Human Services on mosquitoes trapped on the north side of the city, near the Waltham line, came back positive for West Nile virus for the first time this year, officials said in a release.

Mosquitoes carrying the virus have also been detected in nearby Brookline, Boston, Waltham and Cambridge. No human cases of West Nile Virus have been reported, the health officials said.

“We know West Nile Virus is endemic in this part of Massachusetts, and finding West Nile Virus in mosquitoes is something we expect to see this time of year,” said John McNally, the city’s senior environmental health specialist. “It’s important for people to keep themselves healthy by taking precautions like using mosquito repellent and limiting outdoor activities between dusk and dawn.”

People over the age of 50 years old have the highest risk of severe West Nile Virus disease, which can include symptoms of high fever, muscle weakness, headache, disorientation, neck stiffness, tremors, paralysis, coma and sometimes death.

Newton addresses mosquito-borne illness by treating catch basins where mosquitoes develop and to regularly trap and test the insects. The city participates in the East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project. At this time, there are no plans to conduct aerial or truck spraying for mosquitoes, the release said.

Residents are advised to limit exposure to mosquito bites by wearing long sleeves and mosquito repellent, avoiding the outdoors during the evening or early morning, and draining standing water where mosquitoes can breed on their property.

Information and reports of West Nile Virus activity in Massachusetts during 2010 can be found on the Massachusetts Department of Public Health website. Recorded information is also available by calling the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Public Health Information Line at 1-866-MASS-WNV (1-866-627-7968). Additional information is available by calling the City of Newton Health & Human Services Department at 617-796-1420 or visiting the city's website.

Sarah Thomas can be reached at sarah.m.thomas@gmail.com.