West Nile virus has been detected in a goat in Lunenburg, becoming the first confirmed case in an animal in 2025 and raising the risk of infection across multiple Worcester County communities, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) said on Tuesday.

The risk of contracting West Nile Virus has increased in the immediate Boston metro area. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health increased the risk level to moderate in Boston after six mosquito pools tested positive for West Nile Virus in Boston on July 15.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) announced the first confirmed case of West Nile virus (WNV) in an animal this year.