Local experts respond as West Nile virus detected in Hampden County

AMHERST, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – Exactly one week ago, a batch of mosquitoes was sampled in the West Springfield area. One of them tested positive for West Nile virus. Western Mass News spent some time getting answers about whether or not the community should be concerned.

“You want to be worried, but not alarmed,” said Stephen Rich. “Don’t panic.”

Stephen Rich is the director of the New England Regional Vector-Borne Disease Center and he’s a professor of microbiology at UMass Amherst, but it’s his work with the state that keeps people safe.

“There are good people reviewing and testing and reporting these things…as the reports come out, we have to take a balance and say this is what we expected, we know it’s there, there are things we can do to protect ourselves from it,” Rich explained. On July 14, a mosquito tested positive for West Nile virus in West Springfield and on July 21, he said another had tested positive in Pittsfield.

Betty MacLeod, a resident of western Massachusetts, told us West Nile virus hasn’t been a priority since an outbreak of the virus two decades ago.

Now she is rethinking things.

“I should be a little more careful when I go out at night with all this rain and wet weather,” MacLeod said.

“They actually start in the water so when there’s more water…. More mosquitoes,” Rich explained.

Officials said July’s record rainfall sped up the West Nile virus timeline.

The West Springfield Health Department told Western Mass News it only takes three days in the water for mosquitoes to start breeding, which could cause the spread of WNV.

Any ways to mitigate this? Make sure there is no standing water near your house. This includes planters, small puddles in children’s toys, and even birdbaths.

Rich recommends insect repellent, especially with deet when you go out.

In the meantime, his team is getting a head start on any future outbreaks.

“We don’t want to be caught off guard,” Rich said. “So we have these centers so that we’re ready for viruses as they come out and we know what to do in response.”

Stephen also told me that the strain of West Nile virus discovered so far is not lethal to animals or humans.

He said we have developed a tolerance to what is currently circulating in mosquitoes.

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