Mass. Communities On Alert For West Nile Virus

PLYMOUTH (CBS) - With Covid-19 occupying everyone's health concerns, it's easy to forget that the mosquitoes are still with us and so is the West Nile Virus they carry.

So far though, Massachusetts has been lucky and not seen any EEE cases. But four people in Middlesex County have contracted West Nile and it's been detected in mosquitoes in almost every corner of the state.

There is elevated risk in Middlesex County, Norfolk, and Essex and high risk in Suffolk County.

Some health officials are keeping a watchful eye on the species that carry EEE. "We did have a lot of rain in July," said Halifax Health Agent Bob Valary, "and that's the breeding ground, that certainly had a population on its way down that may just explode this fall."

The Plymouth County Mosquito Control Project is winding down its spraying program, but their trucks are still available where needed. "We're finishing up service requests for the communities, the residents that call in," said PCMCP General Foreman Matt McPhee. "We're still available for schools or public events or anything of that nature."

The PCMCP says until the first hard frost, people need to be aware that the mosquito threat is still real. "We didn't end up getting any EEE in Plymouth County this year so far," said PCMCP Superintendent Ross Rossetti. "It's always something you have got to be careful about until we have a hard frost."

Next week, the PCMCP will begin aerial spraying of bogs and other wetlands with larvicide, to kill next year's crop of mosquitoes.