Berkshire Mosquitoes Test Positive For West Nile Virus

It's damp and it's humid and it's mosquito season. Some of these pesky insects can carry diseases, unfortunately.

The following is a message from Pittsfield City Hall:

On Friday, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed the presence of West Nile Virus in samples of mosquitoes collected by the Berkshire County Mosquito Control Project in the City of Pittsfield.

There is no current confirmed human case of West Nile Virus in the City of Pittsfield.

It is very important to take personal protective measures to avoid bites:

• When outdoors, wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and socks.

• Use a repellent with DEET according to the instructions on the product label.

• Keep mosquitoes out of your house by repairing holes in screens and making sure screens fit tightly to doors and windows.

• Schedule outdoor events to avoid the hours between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.

• Remove areas of standing water around your home twice a week to eliminate sources of mosquito breeding.

For more information, please contact the Pittsfield Health Department at 413-499-9411 or contact the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH), Division of Epidemiology and Immunization at (617) 983-6800 or toll-free at (888) 658-2850, or on the MDPH Arbovirus website at www.mass.gov/dph/mosquito.

West Nile virus (WNV) is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States.  It is most commonly spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. Cases of WNV occur during mosquito season, which starts in the summer and continues through fall. There are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat WNV in people. Fortunately, most people infected with WNV do not feel sick. About 1 in 5 people who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms. About 1 out of 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness. You can reduce your risk of WNV by using insect repellent and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants to prevent mosquito bites. -cdc.gov

I hope you found this post informative.