Lynn reports first case of West Nile

LYNN – Streets bordering Pine Grove Cemetery will be sprayed Monday night after a mosquito tested positive on July 17 for West Nile Virus.”This is our first positive,” said Lynn Health Director MaryAnn O’Connor.O’Connor confirmed the test Friday afternoon and said Northeast Mosquito Control, the agency that tests around the region for West Nile Virus, will send spray trucks into neighborhoods, including Pine Hill and streets off Broadway.O’Connor said Northeast Mosquito Control will spray on Monday between 9 p.m. and midnight.Check to see when and where positive West Nile tests are found in the stateThe spraying occurs at ground level and spreads quickly, causing minimal breathing irritation, said O’Connor, who urged anyone concerned about the spraying to keep pets indoors during spraying hours, and keep windows closed and air conditioners off while spraying takes place.Four out of five people bitten by a West Nile-infected mosquito do not display disease symptoms, according to a state Public Health fact sheet, while the remaining 20 percent develop fevers, headache, body aches and, sometimes, swollen lymph glands.Less than 1 percent of people infected with West Nile develop serious illness, according to the fact sheet, and one out of 10 people who develop serious illness dies from the disease.Massachusetts State Epidemiologist Dr. Al DeMaria said anyone can contract West Nile, but noted the elderly are most susceptible to the more severe effects of the virus.”Any individual could have severe symptoms,” said DeMaria. “If you talk to any individual that has had West Nile ? it’s not a pleasant experience.”DeMaria said positive tests are expected this time of year and noted the risk will increase as summer wears on.”Birds carry the virus and the mosquitoes feed on the birds ?” he said. “We use the mosquito testing as a measure of the virus that’s out there. The important message is that it’s here and if you haven’t taken the precautions, you certainly should do that now.”Precautions to avoid West Nile-infected mosquitoes, according to DeMaria, include wearing long-sleeved pants and shirts, using mosquito repellent during peak mosquito activity hours from dusk to dawn and removing standing water from roof gutters, barrels, planters and any other locations around homes.DeMaria said Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) is a separate virus that is also carried by birds, but is transmitted by a different breed of mosquito than the one that carry West Nile.O’Connor said additional testing for West Nile will be done next week.Thor Jourgensen can be reached at [email protected] Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].