West Nile Virus In Massachusetts: First 3 Human Cases

Two of the people were hospitalized during the illness and discharged. A horse that also contracted the virus was euthanized

By Mike Carraggi, Patch National Staff

The Department of Health has confirmed the first three human cases of West Nile
Virus in Massachusetts this year. Two people were hospitalized during the illness,
and both were discharged. The cases were in Middlesex, Worcester, and Suffolk counties.

The Worcester County case was a woman in her 70s who was hospitalized, the
Suffolk County case was a woman in her 50s who was hospitalized, and the
Middlesex County case was a woman in her 60s who was not hospitalized during
the illness.

A horse, stabled in Hampshire County, also contracted the virus. It became
severely ill and had to be euthanized.