West Nile virus found in local bird
By Nathaniel Weixel Contributing Writer

Region - The first case of the West Nile virus found in Massachusetts this year was discovered in a dead blue jay in Marlborough July 26, but area health officials said it's not a cause for any additional concern, so long as proper precautions are being followed.

"I don't think [residents] should be any more concerned," said Bob Moore, sanitarian for the Shrewsbury Health Department. "West Nile is something that should always be a concern. The fact that they got a positive test shows it's still out there."

West Nile virus is carried by mosquitoes and can potentially be spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. The blue jay that tested positive for the virus is one of several species of birds, including crows and robins, which are particularly susceptible to West Nile infection.

According to the state Department of Public Health, less than 1 percent of people who contract the virus will develop severe illness. The virus is deadly in about 10 percent of those cases.

Moore said Shrewsbury is part of the Central Massachusetts Mosquito Control Program (CMMCP), which treats and monitors mosquito breeding grounds to kill larvae. It also traps and tests adult mosquitoes for West Nile virus and other diseases.

Marlborough and Westborough are also serviced by CMMCP.

Moore said the program hasn't found any positive mosquitoes in Shrewsbury, but that doesn't mean there won't be any.

"A couple years ago, we had a lot more birds found positive a lot earlier in the season," he said. "It ebbs and flows, but it could change at any time."

Karen Kisty, executive aide to Mayor Nancy Stevens of Marlborough, said even though there's no way to be sure the bird came from Marlborough, the steps residents need to take to protect themselves haven't changed.

"You can't tell where the bird came from, but it's not a migration season," she said. "It can't hurt to stay protected anyways."

Kisty said the best way to avoid being infected is to avoid mosquito bites.

"You need to limit the time you're outdoors from dusk to dawn, apply bug spray with DEET, fix screens with holes in them or that aren't tight," Kisty said.

She also said residents should eliminate the potential for standing water around their homes, since that's where mos- quitoes like to live and breed. Anyone outside during peak mosquito hours should keep skin covered by wearing long sleeves and pants.

Paul McNulty, director of public health in Westborough, said residents should always expect cases of West Nile virus in the summer.

"They should always be on the alert," he said. "It's almost certainly here in birds and mosquitoes and I wouldn't be surprised if we found [cases] any time now."

McNulty said this is the time of the summer when the virus is usually found. He said the number of reported cases will usually rise in July and August, and will stay high until the weather gets cooler and the mosquitoes die off .

McNulty, Kisty and Moore said residents are urged to call their local Board of Health if they find any dead birds, especially blue jays, crows or robins.