Despite aerial spraying, in many area communities, Norton has tested positive for mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus.

Leon Dumont of the Norton Board of Health has confirmed that two mosquito pools tested positive for the virus in the northeast corner of Norton near the Easton town line. They were the types of mosquitoes that bite birds.

While the first round of spraying killed off approximately 60 percent of mosquitoes in the area, nearby towns such as Easton still found mosquitoes carrying Eastern Equine Encephalitis. At this time local health officials haven’t received the results on how successful the second spraying was. They should have results by Monday.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced the first human case of West Nile virus (WNV) in the state this year. The patient is a resident of Middlesex County north of Boston in his 60s who was diagnosed with WNV in late July and remains hospitalized, but is recovering. Officials have also confirmed the first case of the virus in a horse in Ludlow. 

The Department of Public Health reccommends doing everything possible to protect against mosquito bites.

“At this time we are still recommending a dusk to dawn curtailment of activities,” Dumont said.