West Nile virus
The first human case of West Nile Virus to be documented in Massachusetts this year has been recorded in Boston.
According to TheMoneyTimes.com, the case was discovered when a woman was hospitalized for meningitis. Tests determined that West Nile Virus was most likely the cause of the woman’s illness.
The woman is currently out of the hospital and recovering, TheMoneyTimes.com reports.
West Nile Virus is a disease spread by mosquitoes when a mosquito bites an infected bird and then bites a human host. Reactions range from mild to severe, with severe reactions occurring among older people and those with compromised immune systems.
West Nile Virus first appeared in the United States in the summer of 1999 in New York. Prevention includes basic mosquito-reduction techniques, including eliminating standing water.
West Nile Virus is a flavivirus, one of a number of mosquito and tick borne diseases that may be passed to humans.
In addition to this first West Nile case of the year, two people in Massachusetts have tested positive for eastern equine encephalitis. Both people were in critical condition as a result of the disease. Officials continue to spray insecticide but worn that mosquitoes will not disappear until the first frost.
According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, 144 people have been infected with West Nile this year and three have died.