Town of Wayland 8/12/11: Residents Urged to Take Precautions Against Disease from Mosquitoes. The following information was provided by the East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project.

With the frequent rains that we’ve experienced from this past Sunday (8/7/11) through Wednesday (8/10/11) producing more than 4.6 inches of rain, and with more rain predicted for Sunday (8/14/11), now is a good time to review precautions to prevent the spread of diseases borne by increased mosquito populations that are expected to emerge in the next few weeks.

The Mass. Department of Public Health is reporting that West Nile Virus (WNV) has been isolated from mosquitoes in the region. This news should serve as a warning that mosquitoes pose a health threat between now and early October. Although the chances of acquiring mosquito borne diseases such as WNV or EEE are remote, residents should be aware that these mosquito-borne viruses could cause fever, meningitis or encephalitis. Early symptoms of these diseases include fever, headache, stiff neck and muscle weakness.