West Nile Found in Pittsfield Mosquitoes

07:09AM / Saturday, July 11, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Pull down your sleeves and apply insect repellent: West Nile virus has been detected in mosquitoes collected from Pittsfield.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed a virus isolation at the Pittsfield Cemetery near the end of King Street, the city announced on Friday.

There are no confirmed human cases, but residents are encouraged to take preventative actions.

"WNV is most commonly transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito," according to a press release from City Hall.

"The mosquitoes that carry this virus are common throughout the state and are found in urban as well as more rural areas. While WNV can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe infection."

To avoid contact with an infected mosquito, residents can apply insect repellent, wear long sleeves and pants, be aware of peak mosquito hours from dusk until dawn, and mosquito-proof their homes by draining still water and using screening.

Pittsfield is continuing to work closely with the Berkshire County Mosquito Control project and other agencies. For mosquito control, the city is applying larvicide, conducting targeted education programs, distributing fact sheets on West Nile and on reducing exposure to mosquitoes, and treating catch basins.

Last week, it was announced that 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.

According to a risk map provided by the state, the WNV risk level is low for Pittsfield and the rest of Massachusetts.

Recommendations from the City of Pittsfield:

Avoid Mosquito Bites

Apply insect repellent when you go outdoors. Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30 percent or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under 3 years of age. Permethrin products are intended for use on items such as clothing, shoes, bed nets, and camping gear, and should not be applied to skin.
Clothing can help reduce mosquito bites. Although it may be difficult to do when it’s hot, wearing long sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.
Be aware of peak mosquito hours — The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. When risk is increased, consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during the evening or early morning. If you are outdoors at any time and notice mosquitoes around you, take steps to avoid being bitten by moving indoors, covering up, and/or wearing repellent.

Mosquito-Proof Your Home

Drain standing water — Many mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or getting rid of items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools and change water in birdbaths frequently.
Install or repair screens -— Some mosquitoes like to come indoors. Keep them outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all your windows and doors.

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Free Vaccinations Available Throughout Berkshire County

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
10:30AM / Saturday, October 10, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Fall season is also the flu season, which means vaccine clinics are now available.

The Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative will provide public vaccination clinics in Berkshire communities this fall, including the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. There are about 49 clinics.

The collaborative began during COVID-19 to help vaccinate people across Berkshire County. Berkshire Health Systems started the Get Vaccinated Berkshires website and still manages it. The group works with the Pittsfield Public Health Department, Community Health Programs, and the Southern Berkshire Public Health Collaborative.

"The majority of people will always get the flu [vaccine] because, as I said, if you've ever gotten the flu, you will always get a flu vaccine because it's so bad. And just so you know, the flu is already in Berkshire County. It's an early season this year," said Leslie Drager, who is the senior public health nurse at Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.

Drager said last year they issued 2,705 vaccines, with more than 1,100 of them being for COVID-19 and more than 1,500 being flu. In total, they were able to vaccinate 1,669 people in Central and North County, in addition to Pittsfield.

Drager also said she will be carrying three types of COVID vaccines this year, which is in high demand.

"We have a high demand of COVID vaccine, which is awesome," she said. "So we're doing a lot of COVID vaccines. Also, I provide Pfizer, and this year I have Moderna and the Novavax, which I think is real important to get out there because the Novavax, a lot of people want, people with long COVID. So I'm carrying all three vaccines this year, which I normally only carry the Pfizer."

Public health departments also can help people access other vaccines such as for measles or meningitis when they cannot get them through a pediatrician, she added.

Using the website, people are able to get vaccines even if they are homebound by filling out a form.

All public Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative clinics are free of charge, but registrants are asked to provide insurance information, when available, in order to defray costs. The clinics are open to anyone 6 months of age or older, the age group recommended to receive an annual flu vaccine and the latest COVID-19 vaccine.

"I always encourage everybody to wear a short sleeve shirt because it makes it a heck of a lot easier to get at," Drager said. "And children, we do carry the nasal flu, the live virus of nasal flu for kids that are afraid to get needles."

Registration is highly recommended for the clinics. Walk-ins may be accepted depending on the number of vaccine doses available at each clinic, with preference given to those who are registered.

"It's really important. I'm really encouraging vaccinations for the schools, because not only you know if the kids are vaccinated and the teachers are vaccinated, the schools won't have the flu go wild right through it," Drager said. "And of course, the best way to prevent infections: washing your hands. So don't touch your face, and wash your hands."

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