WORCESTER, Mass. - The City of Worcester is taking extra precautions after West Nile virus was found in a mosquito sample. 

"The trap was in the Burncoat area but on the West Boylston Street area," said Dr. Michael Hirsh, the city's medical director. "So, they are going to be doing a couple of streets around that area."

Crews will be out spraying yards in the Burncoat neighborhood starting Friday. Hirsh said there hasn’t been a human case of West Nile since 2018 but still encourages residents to be vigilant. He said people should try to stay indoors from dusk to dawn and take personal protection. 

"Dress in long pants, dress in long shirts," said Hirsh. "Wear insect repellent called Deet or clothing impregnated with permethrin."

Bobby Dee, general manager of the Mosquito Authority branch in central Massachusetts said his company sprays a few hundred yards each week, even though the area hasn't had a lot of rain. 

"People are still calling, still signing up for our service," said Dee. "We don't see it really much different than the last year. We record everything."

Mosquitos only need a small amount of water to reproduce, so even without rain, a morning dew or drops of water from a sprinkler can be enough. 

"People have irrigation systems, they have sprinklers out," said Dee. "They create little puddles of standing water, that's where the mosquitos will lay their larva. So, it's not really about the drought. The mosquitos are viscous this year. In fact, some of us think they are even more aggressive."

Dee said the best thing you can do is treat your yard with a spray and dump out any standing bodies of water you come across.