Saugus — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) has increased the West Nile Virus (WNV) risk level to moderate in Saugus based on the detection of two West Nile Virus-positive mosquitoes in the community.
What this means
A moderate West Nile Virus risk level means infection with WNV is likely or has already occurred.
What you should do to protect yourself
The Town encourages all residents to follow this advice from MDPH:
Avoid mosquito bites: Apply insect repellent when outdoors. Use a repellent with an EPA-registered ingredient, such as DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), or oil of lemon eucalyptus (p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD) or IR3535) according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under 2 months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30 percent or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under 3 years of age.
Be aware of peak mosquito hours: The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. Consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during the evening or early morning in areas of high risk.
Clothing can help reduce mosquito bites: Wearing long sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.
Drain Standing Water: Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by draining or discarding items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty unused flowerpots and wading pools and change the water in birdbaths frequently.
Protect your animals: Animal owners should reduce potential mosquito breeding sites on their property by eliminating standing water from containers such as buckets, tires, and wading pools — especially after heavy rains. Water troughs provide excellent mosquito breeding habitats and should be flushed out to reduce mosquitoes near paddock areas. Horse owners should keep horses in indoor stalls at night to reduce their risk of exposure to mosquitoes. Owners should also speak with their veterinarian about mosquito repellents approved for use in animals and vaccinations to prevent West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE).
The MDPH Public Health Laboratory confirmed West Nile Virus was detected in one bird-biting mosquito in Saugus and one bird/human-biting mosquito collected from a sample in Saugus earlier this month.
To date, there have been no human cases of WNV or EEE in Massachusetts this year, and one animal case of WNV has been confirmed in the state.
There have been 215 WNV-positive mosquito samples and 13 EEE-positive mosquito samples in Massachusetts in 2025.
Saugus Town Manager Scott Crabtree and the Saugus Health Department advise residents to check the Massachusetts Arbovirus Update page at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-arbovirus-update to better understand local risk levels for WNV and EEE.
Go to https://www.mass.gov/info-details/west-nile-virus-wnv to see MDPH’s fact sheet on West Nile Virus that includes more information and tips on how to protect yourself from WNV.
The Saugus Board of Health will continue to work closely with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health through the remainder of peak Arbovirus season. In addition, the Town of Saugus has once again partnered with the Northeast Massachusetts Mosquito Control program in efforts to cull the acute populations of mosquitoes on a weekly basis in the Saugus area.
Residential adulticiding (truck spraying) requests are accepted to Northeast Massachusetts Mosquito Control from June 1, 2025, through Sept. 17, 2025. Each week between Sunday at 7 a.m. and Wednesday at noon, residents can go to the Northeast Massachusetts Mosquito Control website at https://www.nemassmosquito.org/ to request the application of ultra low-volume (ULV) insecticide to the front of their properties to reduce adult flying mosquito populations.
Adulticiding is the application of an insecticide to reduce adult flying mosquito populations. The treatment is done by the means of a white pick-up truck, with a ULV aerosol generator mounted in the bed. Pesticide applicators are equipped with an array of technical data that aids them in their application, which includes GIS mapping and a current list of the ‘Pesticide Exceptions’ registered with the state of Massachusetts. Residential ULV Adulticiding takes place on Thursday nights, beginning 30 minutes after sunset.
Additionally, Northeast Massachusetts Mosquito Control accepts residential larviciding requests, which is the treatment of breeding waters for mosquito larvae, at any time during the mosquito breeding season. Larviciding is the treatment of standing water to prevent adult mosquitoes from hatching. This includes woodland pools, wet meadows, unopened/abandoned pools, bird baths, and more.
Northeast Massachusetts Mosquito Control prefers residents to request these insecticide services online at https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/323ede5d6f1f44eb91e930c7d443d380.
If you are having trouble with the online submission, you may call Northeast Massachusetts Mosquito Control’s request line at 978-352-2800 to complete your request. Residents requesting a treatment must call the office between Sundays at 7 a.m. and Wednesdays at noon to be added to that week’s spraying list. Calls can be made during office hours from 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. or left on the agency’s automated voice message service. Please leave your name, full street address, town and phone number.
Go to https://www.nemassmosquito.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif4751/f/uploads/faq_residential_adulticide_requests_nemmc_0.pdf to see Northeast Massachusetts Mosquito Control’s Frequently Asked Questions regarding residential ULV insecticide requests.
Please visit the Saugus Board of Health website at www.saugus-ma.gov/board-health for additional information, including updated vector-borne disease risk maps and FAQs.
For more information about West Nile Virus or to report a concern, please contact the Saugus Board of Health at 781-231-4117.
