The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) reported Friday afternoon that a new Boston mosquito pool tested positive for the West Nile virus (WNV) this week. A test on September 3 confirmed that a Mattapan mosquito pool is WNV-positive for the first time this season. Earlier this summer, mosquito pools in West Roxbury, South Boston, Roxbury, East Boston, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, and Roslindale also tested positive for West Nile. The current WNV alert level is moderate.

There have been no recorded human cases of mosquito-borne illnesses in Boston this year, but just two weeks ago a Middlesex man tested positive for the WNV. The BPHC encourages residents to do what they can to reduce the risk of mosquito bites. Preventative steps include:


1. Using insect repellant.

2. Wearing long sleeves and pants outdoors when possible.

3. Making sure window and door screens are in good repair, in order to keep mosquitoes out of the home.

Additionally, residents should do what they can to stop mosquitoes from breeding. These are the steps the BPHC suggests:

1. Turn over unused flower pots, buckets, wheelbarrows, and garbage cans.

2. Remove leaves and other debris that can clog gutters and trap water.

3. Dispose of or cover old tires.

4. Cover swimming pools when not in use.

The City of Boston is partnering with the Suffolk County Mosquito Control Project to place larvicide in catch basins and wetlands throughout Boston, as well as aerosol spraying certain areas of the city to do what they can to reduce the mosquito population.