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Officials advise residents to take precautions, though the risk of transmission is low.
A mosquito pictured in Salt Lake City in 2023. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File
A mosquito test sample from Jamaica Plain tested positive for West Nile Virus, the first sample from within the city to test positive this summer, the Boston Public Health Commission announced Thursday.
West Nile Virus spreads to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. No human cases of the virus have been confirmed among Boston residents, according to BPHC.
“These test results are an important reminder that everyone needs to take steps to protect themselves from mosquito-borne illnesses this time of year,” BPHC Commissioner Bisola Ojikutu said in an announcement.
Though the risk to humans remains low, officials advise residents to protect themselves by draining pockets of standing water where mosquitoes thrive, wearing insect repellent, ensuring windows and doors are free of holes, and wearing long clothing and high socks outdoors.
Symptoms of the virus include a headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and body aches, which can last for a few days or several weeks. Most infected people, however, do not experience any signs or symptoms, and in most cases, mild symptoms recover on their own without medical assistance, according to BPHC.
Individuals over the age of 50 face an increased risk of developing severe symptoms, which can include a high fever, neck stiffness, severe headache, confusion, a lack of coordination, tremors, vision loss, and muscle weakness or paralysis, BPHC said.
Officials said the Suffolk County Mosquito Control Project and BPHC plan to keep collecting mosquito samples from traps throughout Boston on a weekly basis during the summer and early fall.
“BPHC will continue to work with our partners to monitor this situation and keep residents informed,” Ojikutu said.
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