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BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts public health officials say a Middlesex County woman is the first person to contract West Nile virus in the state this year.
The Department of Public Health said Tuesday the patient is in her 70s. Officials are working to determine where she was most likely exposed to infected mosquitoes. She remains hospitalized.
Officials say the infection was confirmed by testing at the Massachusetts State Public Health Laboratory.
State Public Health Veterinarian Catherine Brown says this is peak season in Massachusetts for possible West Nile virus infection in humans. She says high temperatures and drought conditions result in elevated populations of the type of mosquitoes that are most likely to spread the virus.
Ten human cases of West Nile virus infection were identified in the state last year.
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