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.

The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) has announced that two mosquito test samples obtained from Hyde Park and West Roxbury tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV). The virus is carried by mosquitoes and can be spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.

Two mosquito test samples taken from Hyde Park and West Roxbury have tested positive for West Nile Virus, the Boston Public Health Commission announced Friday. There currently aren’t any confirmed human cases, and the commission told Boston residents the risk of transmission is low. But it encouraged protective steps be taken.

West Nile virus has been detected in mosquitoes in Massachusetts for the first time this year, according to the Department of Public Health.