A dead bird from Dedham has tested positive for the West Nile virus, the Dedham Board of Health announced yesterday.
According to the Board of Health, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported the bird was positive. This is the first confirmed case of West Nile Virus in Dedham since last year, when one out of two dead birds submitted to the state tested positive, the Board of Health said.
Health officials continue to monitor the region for mosquitoes, and cases of West Nile Virus were confirmed yesterday in other parts of the state.
The recent heavy rainfall has led to an increase in mosquitoes, officials said.
West Nile virus has been found in mosquitoes in West Roxbury, Malden, Watertown, Barnstable and Raynham, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health said. In addition to Dedham, the virus has also been found in birds in Needham, Sudbury, Whitman and Haverhill.
Positive samples of West Nile were found in mosquitoes in Worcester and Millbury a month ago.
West Nile Virus is commonly transmitted to humans by mosquito bites. Dead crows or blue jays can be a sign that the virus is circulating among birds and mosquitoes in an area, local health officials said. Residents can report dead birds to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health by calling 1-866-MASS WNV.
According to health officials, while West Nile can infect anyone, people over the age of 50 are at a higher risk for severe infection.
According to a public health fact sheet from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, about 80 percent of people infected with West Nile will have no symptoms. The other 20 percent may experience fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands. They may also develop a skin rash on the chest, stomach, and back.
Less than 1 percent of people infected will develop severe illness, including encephalitis or meningitis, the Department of Public Health says. The symptoms of severe illness can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness, and paralysis. About 10 percent of people who develop severe illness from West Nile Virus will die, the Department of Public Health says.
The Dedham Board of Health offered some tips for avoiding mosquito bites: Wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks and apply insect repellant when outdoors; drain standing water from around the home; and install and repair screens on windows.
The Board of Health said it would be working with the town Department of Public Works to treat town catch basins and would be putting more information about West Nile Virus on the town's Web site, www.dedham-ma.gov.
