A 20-year-old man has been identified as the third person in Massachusetts to be infected with West Nile virus this year, state public health officials announced on Tuesday.
The man was likely exposed to the virus in Suffolk County, according to the state Department of Public Health. Officials said that the risk of human infection in the Greater Boston area is currently moderate to high.
The man is the youngest person in Massachusetts infected with the mosquito-born virus this year. The other two people, whose cases were identified in the last two weeks, are in their 70s, state officials said.
“While WNV can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe disease,” the statement said. “Most people infected with WNV will have no symptoms.”
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Most infections in humans occur “through the bite of an infected mosquito,” the statement said. Symptoms can include fever and flu-like illness — and rarely, more severe illness.
There were 11 human cases of West Nile virus in 2021, the statement said.