Human Case Of West Nile Confirmed In Boston

BOSTON (CBS) - A Beacon Hill woman was hospitalized with Boston's first confirmed human case of West Nile Virus this year, according to health officials.

The Boston Public Health Commission made the announcement Friday, adding that because the woman traveled before her diagnosis, it is unclear where she contracted the virus. The victim has recovered and is out of the hospital.

Mosquito populations across the Boston area have tested positive for the disease in recent weeks, and public health officials are continuing to encourage residents to protect themselves from exposure to WNV.

"People often think that since Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer, there's no need to worry about mosquitoes until next year, but that's not the reality," Dr. Anita Barry, director of the Infectious Disease Bureau at the Boston Public Health Commission said in a statement. "Temperatures are still warm, and that means that mosquitoes will continue to be an issue until the first hard frost. People should keep taking the easy steps we always encourage to avoid mosquito bites."

This is the fifth human case of West Nile in Massachusetts. There have also been two cases of EEE in the state, one of which was deadly.