Health Department Director Shaun McAuliffe on Wednesday warned residents of the presence of a large pool of mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus in the area.

On July 23, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported that mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus had been identified in mosquito pools within Natick, Clinton, Marlborough and Worcester.

The West Nile virus is an arbovirus, a viral infection carried by mosquitoes, ticks and other insects. There are more than 130 different types of arbovirus that affect humans. Symptoms include headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rash. Most people recover completely, but some experience fatigue that can linger for months.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Hopkinton Health Department are encouraging residents to utilize EPA-approved mosquito repellents and avoid being outdoors during peak mosquito activity at dusk and dawn.

McAuliffe noted that the local mosquito population has grown at an exponential rate over last year. The Central Massachusetts Mosquito Control Project (CMMCP) reported that the population of human biting mosquitoes has increased 1,766% since the same week last year. McAuliffe urged people to take precautions to prevent infection.

The CMMCP has tentatively scheduled August mosquito spraying in Hopkinton on Aug. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27 and 28. These dates are subject to change due to weather conditions, the mosquito population, virus spread or spraying for special events.

Additional information can be found at these links:

mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-arbovirus-update

cmmcp.org/mosquito-surveillance-data/pages/2024-surveillance-reports