WORCESTER (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) A 64-year-old Worcester man who served in the Vietnam War died on August 29 after being diagnosed with West Nile virus.
William Ellison was awarded three purple hearts during his time in the military.
Last Friday, Public Health officials announced that Ellison died after being diagnosed with West Nile.
Officials say Ellison had severe underlying medical conditions. Ellison is the state's first death as a result of West Nile since 2005.
Three others, a Middlesex County woman in her 60s, a woman in her 70s from the Greater Boston area, and another woman in her 50s who lives on Beacon Hill, are all recovering after being diagnosed with West Nile virus.
The threat level for West Nile in the Greater Boston area will not change at this time. The Boston Public Health Commission says the Beacon Hill resident had traveled before becoming ill so it was unknown if she contracted the virus in the city.
Health officials say the threat level for Middlesex County may change once they figure out the place of exposure.
Officials raised the threat level to "high" in Methuen on Friday after multiple mosquito pools tested positive for the virus.
The recent death of a Westborough man as a result of eastern equine encephalitis has raised the EEE threat in several towns. Westborough's threat level is now considered "critical," while the threat in Grafton, Hopkinton, Northborough, Shrewsbury, Southborough, and Upton has been raised to "high."
Mattapoisett's EEE threat level has also been raised to "high" after sevel mosquito pools tested positive for EEE.
