(ProsperNews.net) – Two residents of Massachusetts have contracted the mosquito-borne West Nile virus. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said a 70-year-old woman and a man in his 40s were both exposed to the virus in the Middlesex County area of the Bay State. Health officials say the risk of exposure is “moderate” in the Greater Boston area and said, “This is the first time that West Nile virus infection has been identified in Massachusetts residents this year.”
Public Health Commissioner Robert Goldstein said the risk of contracting the disease is highest in August and September and warned that the mosquito populations that transport it are larger than usual this year. In 2022, there were eight confirmed cases of West Nile virus in Massachusetts.
The disease was first diagnosed in the United States in 1999 and quickly spread across the country. It is America’s number one mosquito-borne disease, and no vaccines or treatments are available.
Experts say around 80% of infected people won’t experience any symptoms, but the condition is fatal in around one in every 150 cases. Approximately 20% of those infected will experience fever-like symptoms.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends applying insect repellent and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants to avoid the possibility of insect bites.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), West Nile virus was first isolated in the West Nile district of Uganda in 1937. It is most commonly found in Africa but can affect people in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. The virus is not airborne or transmissible between people, and infection occurs only via mosquitoes. It can be fatal to animals, particularly horses, but an equine vaccine is currently available.
The WHO says the West Nile Virus is a member of the “flavivirus genus” that is part of the “Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex” of the Flaviviridae family. It is regularly found in birds, who are considered a “natural host.”
Copyright 2023, ProsperNews.net
