FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Connecticut Department of Public Health
July 26, 2011 Contact: William Gerrish
(860) 509-7270
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
Contact: Dr. Theodore Andreadis
(203) 974-8510
Third WNV-Positive Mosquito Pool of Season
Hartford – The State Mosquito Management Program today announced that mosquitoes trapped in Greenwich on July 13, 2011 tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV). These results represent the first positive mosquitoes identified in Greenwich by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) this year. Additional mosquitoes trapped on July 14, 2011 in Bridgeport also tested positive.
“We have seen a significant increase in the abundance of Culex mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus throughout the region,” said Dr. Theodore Andreadis, Chief Medical Entomologist, CAES. “With the recent heat wave we anticipate an accelerated build-up of virus activity in mosquitoes in the coming weeks.”
In 2011, WNV-positive mosquitoes have been trapped in 3 municipalities; the first were trapped in Bridgeport on June 21st, the second in Orange on June 29th, the third on July 13th in Greenwich, and the fourth in Bridgeport on July 14th. No Connecticut residents have been identified with illnesses related to WNV infections this year.
The state uses a network of 91 mosquito-trapping stations in 72 municipalities maintained by the CAES to monitor WNV activity. Mosquito traps are set Monday – Thursday nights and conducted at each site every ten days on a rotating basis. Mosquitoes are grouped (pooled) for testing according to species, collection site, and date. Each pool is tested for the presence of viruses of public health importance. Positive findings are reported to local health departments, in press releases, and on the CAES web site at www.ct.gov/caes.
For information on West Nile virus and what you can do to prevent getting bitten by mosquitoes, visit the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program Web site at www.ct.gov/mosquito.
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