Bay State health officials are reporting the first confirmed case of West Nile virus in an animal this year, as people are urged to take precautions against mosquito bites. A goat was recently exposed to the virus in Lunenburg in Worcester County, the Department of Public Health announced on Tuesday.

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.

Massachusetts' first animal case of West Nile virus in 2025 has been discovered in Lunenburg, the state Department of Public Health said Tuesday, July 15. The towns of Lunenburg and Shirley as well as the cities of Leominster and Fitchburg are being designated moderate risk for West Nile virus following the confirmed case in a goat.