Last week officials in Boston found West Nile Virus in Jamaica Plain. According to Dr. Alan Balsam of the Brookline Health Department, the virus hasn’t made it to Brookline yet.
“There have been 19 communities in the state that have reported it, but not Brookline. I expect it soon,” Balsam said. Balsam said that West Nile usually shows up around August.
The town has 3,500 catch basins loaded with larvicide. “We’ve been doing this for over ten years,” Balsam said. “I was very concerned back then, but it’s endemic now. We expect it every summer.”
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Dr. Balsam said that people should check their screen, clean their gutters and report any standing water in your yards if it is there for longer than five days. The mosquitos tend to breed in dirty water.
“It is a preventable disease. For most people, it’s not a serious,” Balsam said. “Nine out of ten people will have no symptoms. People with compromised immune system need to take extra precautions. EEE is a different story, but historically we don’t have it.”
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The symptoms of West Nile are fever, lethargy, and flu symptoms. “Folks should see their health care provider if they experience these symptoms,” Balsam said.
The Arnold Arboretum was the first place in Massachusetts where West Nile was found.
The Health Department will be hanging out information on West Nile this week.
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