FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Connecticut Department of Public Health
August 11, 2011 Contact: William Gerrish
(860) 509-7270
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
Contact: Dr. Theodore Andreadis
(203) 974-8510
Hartford – The State Mosquito Management Program today announced that mosquitoes trapped in Trumbull on August 1, 2011 tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV). These results represent the first positive mosquitoes identified in Trumbull by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) this year.
In 2011, WNV-positive mosquitoes have been trapped in 16 municipalities: Bridgeport, Danbury, Darien, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, Hamden, Litchfield, New Britain, New Canaan, Orange, Stamford, Stratford, Trumbull, Westport, and Woodbridge. No Connecticut residents have been identified with illnesses related to WNV infections this year. In 2010, WNV-positive mosquitoes were trapped in 24 municipalities with 11 reported human cases.
“West Nile virus activity in mosquitoes is intensifying rapidly throughout southwestern Connecticut and expanding into other areas of the State,” said Dr. Theodore G. Andreadis, Chief Medical Entomologist, CAES. “With recent rainfall and hot weather, we anticipate further build-up with increasing risk for human infection in these regions.”
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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