Sherrie Juris is on the front line of a small army of people collecting and counting mosquitoes as part of Maine’s disease surveillance program.

The disease was found just a few miles northwest of Gorham where the virus was found eight days ago.

As a precaution, officials decide to spray pesticides at the edges of two elementary school properties in RSU 60.

To track the spread of West Nile virus in Maine, the state’s DHHS lists a hotline number for the public to call to report dead birds. There’s only one problem . . .

The most recent case shows the presence of the virus in both York and Cumberland counties.

The whale, which weighed 50 tons, was found near Bar Harbor and will ultimately have its skeleton reconstructed at a museum.

As results are awaited, officials urge Mainers to take precautions against mosquito bites.

So far, no human cases of the virus have been diagnosed in the state, although a mosquito surveillance pool in York County tested positive for the virus last week.

With implications for birds, horses and humans, the diseases aren’t here yet, but are creeping northward.