NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The State of Connecticut Mosquito Management Program announced on June 3 that it is monitoring mosquitoes for the presence of viruses that can cause illnesses in people such as West Nile virus or eastern equine encephalitis virus, also known as EEE.
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station said in a release that the mosquito trapping and testing program it coordinates began Monday and will last until the end of October.
“The mosquito season has begun,” said Dr. Philip Armstrong, chief scientist at CAES, in the release. “We anticipate higher numbers of mosquitos this season given the abundant rainfall this year. Mosquitos are not only annoying pests but can transmit West Nile virus and other serious mosquito-borne illnesses.”
Last year, West Nile was found in 188 mosquito pools from 44 towns in seven Connecticut counties, according to the release. Most West Nile activity was detected in densely populated urban and suburban regions in Fairfield, Hartford and New Haven counties.
A total of five human cases of West Nile-associated illnesses were reported between July 22 and Sept. 30, 2023; the release said West Nile occurs every summer in the Northeast and has become the main cause of mosquito-borne illness in the region since it was first introduced to the New York City area in 1999.
The release said EEE was detected from 107 mosquito pools in Connecticut last year, and virus positive mosquitos were found throughout the eastern part of the state in 18 towns in New London, Tolland and Windham counties.
Veterinary cases of EEE were also reported from three horses and an emu in the same region, the release said. There were no human cases of EEE reported in the state last year.
According to the release, EEE is a rare but serious illness in humans with four to eight cases reported in the United States during a typical year. The last major EEE outbreak in the country occurred in 2019 when there were 38 cases; four cases and three fatalities were in Connecticut.
To reduce the chances of being bitten by mosquitos, the release said residents can minimize time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitos are most active, be sure door and window screens are tight-fitting and in good repair and wear shoes, socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time or when mosquitoes are more active.
Clothing should be light colored and made of tightly woven materials that keep mosquitoes away from the skin, according to the release.
Residents can also use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in an unscreened structure, and considering the use of an EPA-registered mosquito repellent is also a good idea.
“We encourage everyone to take precautionary measures against mosquito bites such as covering bare skin and wearing mosquito repellent, especially during dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active,” Armstrong said in the release.
CAES maintains a network of 108 mosquito-trapping stations in 88 Connecticut communities, the release said. Mosquito traps are set on Monday to Thursday nights at each site every 10 days on a rotating basis, and mosquitoes are grouped for testing according to species, collection site and date.
----
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
----
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com.
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
