The second human case of West Nile virus in the state this year was announced Friday.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said a man in his 70s was exposed to the virus in Suffolk County in an area already known to be at “moderate risk.”
The risk of human infection with West Nile virus is moderate to high in the greater Boston area, officials said.
As a result of the new case, the risk level for Boston, Brookline, Cambridge and Somerville is being raised from moderate to high.
Officials reported the state’s first case of West Nile virus this year in August. after a woman in her 70s who was exposed in Suffolk County.
In 2021, 11 human cases of WNV infection were identified in Massachusetts. WNV is usually transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. While WNV can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk of severe illness, officials said.
Related content:
