West Nile risk level raised after tests in nearby towns
Acton’s risk level has risen after mosquitoes carrying the virus were caught in Acton, Carlisle, and Maynard.
Time to break out the bug spray.
Experts have found mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus in several communities bordering Acton. Samples taken here this year hadn’t come back positive as of August 28, but state health officials have raised the town’s risk level to “moderate.”
Mosquitoes carrying West Nile have been caught in Acton, Carlisle, and Maynard, according to public state data. Acton officials said in an August 26 announcement that Sudbury also had a positive test.
West Nile spreads through mosquito bites. Most people don’t develop symptoms, but the virus can cause serious illness with symptoms including high fever, stupor, and muscle weakness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Experts suggest using insect repellent, staying indoors at dusk and at dawn when mosquitoes are most active, and wearing long sleeves and pants.
The state had reported five human cases of West Nile so far this year, including three in Middlesex County, as of press time.
“It is out there,” Kayleigh Watson, regional epidemiologist for the Great Meadows Public Health Collaborative, said at a recent tick- and mosquito-borne illness safety event at the Acton Free Public Library. “It could be in our region.”
