DPH offers mosquito season information and safety tips

With mosquito season upon us, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health is reminding residents and municipal officials that mosquitoes can spread illness-causing viruses such as West Nile and eastern equine encephalitis.

The DPH works with established Mosquito Control Districts to trap and test samples of mosquitoes to help measure and track risk throughout the season. Updates are posted online at Massachusetts arbovirus update.

Once West Nile or EEE viruses are found in mosquitoes in Massachusetts, it’s time to start taking steps to avoid mosquito bites.

EEE infections in people don’t happen every year in Massachusetts; there were 12 cases in 2019 and five cases in 2020 but no infections since then.

West Nile is more common, and the DPH expects human infections every year. There were eight people with West Nile in 2022, and six in 2023.

The identification of EEE-infected mosquitoes in four counties in 2023 suggests that there could be increased EEE activity during 2024, according to the DPH.

Only a small number of mosquitoes are infected at any given time, so being bitten by a mosquito does not mean you will get sick. The best way to avoid these illnesses, however, is to prevent mosquito bites by doing the following:
• Use insect repellents any time you are outdoors
• Wear long-sleeved clothing
• Schedule outdoor activities to avoid the hours from dusk to dawn during peak mosquito season
• Repair damaged window and door screens
• Remove standing water from the areas around your home

For more information, visit the DPH’s Mosquito-borne Diseases page, which is updated with new results, or call the DPH Division of Epidemiology at 617-983-6800.

• Frequently asked questions about mosquitoes in Massachusetts