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First West Nile Virus of the Summer Found in Manchester Mosquitoes

Mosquito
Centers for Disease Control
A batch of mosquitoes collected in Salem is the first in New Hampshire to test positive for West Nile virus this year.

State health officials in Manchester have found the summer's first batch of mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus.

Last year, nine batches of mosquitoes and one person tested positive for the virus. West Nile has infected only four people since it was first found in New Hampshire in 2000.

A bite from a West Nile-infected mosquito sometimes leads to flu-like symptoms within a couple of weeks. Very rarely, it can cause more serious illness.

Still, officials say people should take precautions by wearing insect repellant, staying inside at dusk and dawn, and removing standing water from their properties.

Annie has covered the environment, energy, climate change and the Seacoast region for NHPR since 2017. She leads the newsroom's climate reporting project, By Degrees.
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