Dead Crows Fuel West Nile Concern
B O S T O N, July 28 -- A second dead crow infected with the WestNile virus triggered a round of emergency meetings in the Bostonarea today, where officials contemplated a spraying campaignto eradicate mosquitoes.
Health officials revealed late Thursday that a dead crowfound in the western suburb of Hopkinton was infected with the WestNile virus, which can cause potentially lethal brain diseasessuch as encephalitis.
It was the second time this week that a dead bird was foundto be carrying the virus in the Boston area. The infected crowdied in Hopkinton on July 21.
Tests Have Failed
Officials Wednesday said a dead crow in the neighborhood ofJamaica Plain also carried the virus.
A 12-year-old child from the Jamaica Plain neighborhood washospitalized with encephalitis and was tested for West Nile.
No results have been released from the child’s tests, and sofar no human cases of the illness have been found inMassachusetts.
Tests have so far failed to find the virus, which killedseven people in New York last year, in a small sampling ofmosquitoes. People get West Nile after being bitten by mosquitoesthat have preyed on crows carrying it.
Virus symptoms can include high fever, headache and bodyaches, muscle weakness, loss of consciousness or rash. Healthofficials say the elderly and young are more susceptible to thevirus.
Massachusetts is the northernmost point the virus has beenfound. So far this year, the virus has been discovered inmosquitoes or birds in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Emergency Meeting
Hopkinton town officials planned to meet this afternoon ina second emergency meeting to discuss what steps they could taketo counter the virus. The town also was contemplating a move tospray insecticide on mosquitoes, according to the HopkintonSelectmen’s office.
The city sprayed mosquitoes in three areas Thursday nightand this morning, including the area where the infected crowwas found, said Kristin O’Connor, a spokeswoman for the BostonPublic Health Commission.
