Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 10/17/2023
AMHERST — A mosquito located within Amherst tested positive for West Nile virus according to an announcement by the town and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The single insect was identified from a pool sample collected in late September.
Public Health Director Kiko Malin said several towns have experienced positive samples as a result of the routine testing that has been conducted in the last few months but she stresses the needle has not moved regarding any worry about increased exposure.
“It didn’t shift the risk in Amherst,” Malin said. “It doesn’t raise our concern about any increase in human transmission.”
The risk level within the town remains low as reported on the state’s Risk Level Map. Malin said the risk level actually continues to decrease as the evening temperatures drop.
“When it gets below 50 [degrees] in the evening, mosquitoes are not going to be biting in the way that they are when it’s warmer,” she said. “We’re almost out of the woods.”
Malin said they decided to put the alert and the information on the town website to let people know and also to drive them to the state website so they can understand what the risk maps look like and how those risks are tracked in the community.
Malin also noted that the sample containing the positive mosquito was taken on Sept. 28, during what was a warm stretch in temperature, which is one of the compounds for mosquito population growth.
“Because temperature and moisture are such predictors of mosquito activity and we’ve had a lot of moisture, that’s why it’s been such a bumper crop year for mosquitoes,” she said.
Back in August, mosquitoes tested positive for WNV in Hadley and South Hadley with the risk level raised from low to moderate in those areas the following month.
Mosquito testing by the Pioneer Valley Mosquito Control District ceased on Oct.12 and Malin wanted to reinforce that no issues with mosquito borne illnesses are anticipated as the weather gets colder.
Nevertheless, she said, it’s never a good idea to have standing water around.
“We’re not technically, completely out of the woods with mosquitoes until there’s a hard frost so it’s always a good idea to move stagnant water, dump kiddie pools and things like that and to be cautious,” she said.
Malin said dressing appropriately for potential exposure as well as the current temperature is also recommended
“Wear long sleeves and long pants in the evening between dusk and dawn, during the peak biting hours and use approved insect repellent just until it’s consistently chilly,” she said.
More information is available at publichealth@amherstma.gov.