image description — WNV is usually transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. There were nine human cases of WNV in 2025, none in Berkshire County, and no human or animal cases of WNV have been detected so far this year.

Season's First West Nile-Positive Mosquitoes Found in Clarksburg

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:05PM / Tuesday, June 30, 2026Print Story | Email Story

CLARKSBURG, Mass.— Northern Berkshire County saw the first West Nile virus-infected mosquitoes of the season in Massachusetts.

The State Public Health Laboratory confirmed WNV in a mosquito sample collected in Clarksburg on June 16. On Monday, the public was notified of the detection on the town’s website.

"Recommended public health measures include raising awareness among residents, reminding residents to use mosquito repellents with an EPA-registered active ingredient and observing peak mosquito activity at dusk and dawn," a notice reads.

"MDPH will continue enhanced surveillance activities in this region."

According to a risk map provided by the Department of Public Health, Berkshire County remains at low risk for WNV and Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

WNV is usually transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. There were nine human cases of WNV in 2025, none in Berkshire County, and no human or animal cases of WNV have been detected so far this year.

No evidence of EEE has been found so far this season, and there were no human cases of EEE in 2025.

While WNV can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe disease. Most people infected with WNV will have no symptoms, but when present, WNV symptoms tend to include fever and flu-like illness, and in rare cases, more severe illness can occur.

The state recommends people avoid mosquito bites by applying insect repellent with an EPA-registered ingredient when outdoors, wearing long sleeves and pants, and being aware of peak mosquito hours throughout the night.

Residents can also mosquito-proof their homes with screening, by draining standing water mosquitoes breed in, and by checking rain gutters and drains.

"Animal owners should reduce potential mosquito breeding sites on their property by eliminating standing water from containers such as buckets, tires, and wading pools – especially after heavy rains. Water troughs provide excellent mosquito breeding habitats and should be flushed out at least once a week during the summer months to reduce mosquitoes near paddock areas," the DPH wrote in a press release last week.

"Horse owners should keep horses in indoor stalls at night to reduce their risk of exposure to mosquitoes. Owners should also speak with their veterinarian about mosquito repellents approved for use in animals and vaccinations to prevent WNV and EEE."

If an animal is suspected of having either disease, owners are required to report to the Department of Agricultural Resources, Division of Animal Health, by calling 617-626-1795, and to the Department of Public Health by calling 617-983-6800.

More information can be found on the Arbovirus Surveillance Information web page that is updated daily, or by calling the DPH Division of Epidemiology at 617-983-6800.

Tags: EEE, mosquito, West Nile,

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Pittsfield: Should Park Square Be an Historic District?

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:48PM / Sunday, September 20, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The committee drafting a proposed local historic district around Park Square wants to generate interest and participation in the process.

Members launched the charge during meetings in August and September. A survey and public hearing are planned to gather feedback early on.

City Planner Kevin Rayner explained they are not just doing this out of a love for historic buildings, but for the timeless sense of place you get when you step into Park Square, which was laid out over 200 years ago and hosted the first-ever agricultural fair in 1810.

"I think that the main thing that we need to kind of park on is that this is the heart of our community, and it really sets the stage for the sense of place in Pittsfield, and any change to that should have some review and some consensus from folks who have a passion for protecting the history and that character of Pittsfield," he said to the new Local Historic District Study Committee last week.

"And there's that private property versus historic resource thing, but I’d say that a lot of these buildings on the square belong to the soul of Pittsfield here, and deserve to be protected, and I don't think that the layer of regulation that we're throwing down here is going to be unreasonable or a real boundary."

In March, the City Council voted to amend the City Code, Chapter 2, to establish the study committee.

Pittsfield has more than 20 locations on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Park Square Historical District, but the designation just allows communities to apply for federal tax credits and doesn't impose restrictions on buildings. The central area was laid out a few decades after Pittsfield was given a town charter in 1761.

A district can be one building, several buildings, or an area. Historic restrictions only apply to the exterior of buildings; the committee has authority to say a building in the district cannot be demolished.