Mosquitoes Test Positive For West Nile Virus In Town

Arlington MA

06 August, 2021

3:56 PM

Description

Your Arlington Last Updated: 05 August 2021 Written by Leah Comins, Jordan Mayblum West Nile Virus (WNV) has been detected in mosquitoes collected from Arlington, and because of the test results, the town's WNV risk level has been elevated to moderate. Arlington Health and Human Services reported the issue based on an announcement from the state Department of Public Health (DPH). WNV is most commonly transmitted to humans by the bite of a mosquito infected with the virus. The mosquitoes that carry this virus are common throughout the state and are found in urban as well as more rural areas. While the virus can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at a higher risk for severe infection. Although there have been no human cases of WNV detected in Massachusetts this year, it is important for residents to be aware and take precautions. "With mosquito samples from Arlington now testing positive for West Nile Virus, it is more important than ever for community members to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites and make their home less inviting to mosquitoes," said Christine Bongiorno, town director human services. "These precautions include avoiding peak mosquito hours, using insect repellent and wearing clothing that will help to cover your skin, as well as ensuring you have well-fitting screens on your windows and doors and draining any standing water near your home." The Arlington Health Department continues to work closely with the DPH and other agencies. Locally, the department is larviciding catch basins across town, which prevents larval mosquitoes from maturing into adults. One larvicide application occurred in June and another is scheduled for the coming weeks. In early July, mosquito samples in Medford tested positive for West Nile Virus, Public Health Director Natasha Waden reported. No human cases of the virus have been detected this year, but she said it is important for residents to be aware and take precautions to prevent mosquito bites. Mosquito-proof your home: Drain standing water. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or discarding items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools, and change water in birdbaths frequently. Install or repair screens. Keep mosquitoes outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all of your windows and doors. Avoid mosquito bites: Apply insect repellent when outdoors. Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] or IR3535 according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30 percent or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under 3 years old. Be aware of peak mosquito hours. The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. Consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning. Clothing can help reduce mosquito bites. Wearing long sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin. This news announcement was published Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021. Providing the information was Leah Comins, who works for John Guilfoile Public Relations. YourArlington.com has provided news and opinion about Arlington, Mass., since 2006. Publisher Bob Sprague is a former editor at The Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Arlington Advocate. Read more at https://www.yourarlington.com/about.