West Nile Virus In Clarksburg: Mosquito Tests Positive

A mosquito carrying the West Nile virus has been discovered near the Peter Cook Memorial Town Field in Clarksburg, but town officials plan to hold off on the use of insecticide spray for now.

The Berkshire Eagle reports that according to Town Administrator Carl McKinney, no dead birds have been found, and the discovery, so far, is fairly limited.

The Berkshire Mosquito Control Project will continue its efforts to reduce the mosquito population in the area with the use of larvicide, according to Superintendent Chris Horton.

West Nile is a virus most commonly spread to people by mosquito bites.

There are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat the virus, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About one out of 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness.