Director of Public Health Andy Cambi says the samples come from the vicinity of the city’s airport and the Pittsfield Cemetery, and offered suggestions for how residents can best protect themselves from the disease:
“They should be wearing repellent and addressing anything within their dwelling as far as window screens, having those stagnant waters resolved," Cambi told WAMC. "Because stagnant water is what creates mosquito breeding habitats. So, addressing those and just being cautious about it.”
Pittsfield, whose city council recently re-affirmed a 2021 decision to opt out of a mosquito spraying program over environmental concerns, has a moderate West Nile Virus risk level on the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s WNV Risk Map.
