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State officials announced the first human case of West Nile virus in Bristol County this year, and Seekonk was raised to the moderate risk category.
The Department of Public Health said Thursday that a woman in her 30s in the county had been diagnosed with the virus, although her name and the city in which she lives were not disclosed. She had meningitis.
“This is our first case of West Nile virus this year in a person under the age of 50,” Acting Public Health Commissioner Margret Cooke said. “This is a reminder that although people over 50 are at higher risk of contracting West Nile virus, all ages can be affected. “
It is the seventh human case of the virus this year, with more being attributed to the counties of Essex and Middlesex. Last year there were five cases.
As of September 1, DPH has announced six human cases and one animal case of the virus.
Mosquitoes carrying the virus have been found in several communities in the area, including Attleboro, Mansfield, Rehoboth, Seekonk and Dighton.
Twenty-seven communities in Essex, Middlesex, Brookline and Suffolk counties are at high risk and 49 communities are at moderate risk.
Based on the mosquito findings and the new human case, Seekonk and 10 other communities are classified as at moderate risk. Fall River is the only other community in Bristol County to be upgraded.
Rehoboth and Dighton had previously been placed in the moderate risk category.
Attleboro, North Attleboro, Norton, Mansfield, Foxboro, Plainville, Wrentham, Norfolk and Franklin remain in the low risk category in the region.
West Nile is usually transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. While the virus can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at greater risk for serious illness. Most people who are infected will not have any symptoms, which tends to include fever and flu-like symptoms. In rare cases, more serious illness can occur.
Heavy rains in recent weeks have increased the number of mosquitoes carrying the virus, officials said.
As nighttime temperatures cool, mosquito activity just around dusk and dawn may be more intense, officials warn.
“The risk from West Nile virus will continue until the first hard frost and people should remember to take steps to avoid mosquito bites whenever they are outside,” Cooke said.
The risk level for another mosquito-borne disease, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, remains low for now, officials said.
Residents are advised to use mosquito repellent. Long clothing, using and repairing screens, and removing standing water are other recommended steps.
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