New Bedford, Dartmouth and Acushnet Now ‘High’ Risk for West Nile

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — The risk level for West Nile virus in New Bedford, Dartmouth and Acushnet has now been elevated to “high.”

The announcement came Wednesday from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health after three new human cases of West Nile were discovered. MassDPH said all three individuals are in their 60s and one was a woman who was exposed in southern Bristol County.

“The second is a man in his 60s who was exposed in Suffolk County in an area already at high risk. The third is a man who was exposed in Barnstable County,” MassDPH said. “This brings the total number of WNV cases this year to 10 in Massachusetts.”

In a release, the City of New Bedford urged “extra precautions for at-risk groups.

“Accordingly, City and state health officials urge people who are older than 50 or (immunocompromised) to limit outdoor activity during peak mosquito hours, from dusk to dawn,” the release stated.

The City said “recommended preventative measures also include emptying standing water around homes, using approved insect repellents, and wearing appropriate clothing when outdoors, particularly from dusk to dawn.”

As a result, the Bristol County Mosquito Control Project is extending the seasonal ground-spraying program from September 12 to September 19. The final ground-spraying of the season on Sept. 19 will target public parks with a rain date of September 20.