Two Northeast Massachusetts Mosquito Control District trucks will be in the northeastern part of the city Monday night, Sept. 23 from 6:45-10 p.m. to spray after a pool of mosquitoes tested positive for the West Nile virus, Mayor James J. Fiorentini said Friday.
Insecticide will be sprayed in the vicinity of Route 495’s Exit 51, heading to North Avenue to Concord Street to Kenoza Avenue to Amesbury Road to the Merrimac town line. Other public roads will also be sprayed.
The solution used has an extremely low risk of toxicity to humans and animals, though residents are asked to keep windows closed and pets inside during spraying hours.
The Massachusetts Department of Health does not recommend any of this weekend’s nighttime events be canceled, according to Fiorentini.
First identified in 1999, the mosquito-borne West Nile virus can cause symptoms from a mild fever to diseases including encephalitis or meningitis.