Health & Fitness
Mosquito In Wayland Tests Positive For West Nile Virus
A mosquito collected in Wayland this week has tested positive for West Nile virus.
WAYLAND, MA — A mosquito collected in Wayland this week has tested positive for West Nile virus, town health officials said Thursday.
The Wayland Health Department was notified on Thursday that a mosquito collected in town on Tuesday tested positive for the virus. Officials said the positive test came early in the season and may be linked in part to the hot weather in July.
The department said it will monitor conditions in Wayland and review any new data from the state.
West Nile virus is most commonly spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. Illness can range from a mild fever to more serious conditions, including encephalitis or meningitis, according to the Health Department.
Town officials urged residents to check their yards for standing water, which can become a mosquito breeding area. Mosquitoes commonly lay eggs in birdbaths, buckets, clogged gutters, old tires, loose pool covers, rain barrels, toys, flower pots and other containers that hold water.
The town said catch basins have been treated with larvicide briquettes that last up to 90 days. The treatments are meant to kill mosquito larvae before they become adults and are part of Wayland’s mosquito control program with the East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project.
Treated catch basins are being marked with a pink paint dot, officials said.
Residents can reduce mosquito breeding by emptying or covering water-holding containers, changing water in birdbaths and wading pools weekly, keeping gutters clear, maintaining pools, cutting grass short and repairing holes in window and door screens.
Health officials also advised residents to avoid mosquito bites by taking precautions from dusk to dawn, when many mosquitoes are most active. Residents should use insect repellent, wear long sleeves, long pants and socks when possible and cover baby carriages and playpens with mosquito netting.
Some mosquito species are active during the day, so residents should also take precautions during daytime hours, officials said.
Residents with questions about mosquito control can visit the East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project website.
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