Connecticut West Nile Virus: What to Do?

Connecticut — Every summer the mosquitoes that bring the dreaded West Nile virus back into Connecticut, and they’re early.

Field team at Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station trapped this season First virus positive bug June 21st in Milford.

Philip Armstrong, virologist and medical entomologist in the Environmental Sciences Division of the Center for Vector Biology and Zoonotic Diseases dog, His colleagues said they usually do not come across insects with WNV from early to mid-July.

Armstrong said mosquito epidemics and subsequent West Nile fever outbreaks could not be controlled more than the weather.

The West Nile virus has been detected in Connecticut every year since it was introduced in North America in 1999, “exceeding all our expectations,” Armstrong said. “It reappears every summer, is very reliable, and the level of viral activity fluctuates greatly from year to year. It really depends on the summer weather.”

According to Armstrong, the state has a high number of WNV infections when summers are hotter than average. Last season, West Nile virus was detected in a pool of 143 mosquitoes from 21 towns in Fairfield, Hartford, and New Haven counties, with eight cases. In 2019, CAES tracked WNV in 82 mosquito samples from 23 towns and reported one human case. The previous year, 158 cases of West Nile virus were reported in Connecticut, four of which were fatal.

There is No vaccine Dosing to prevent or treat West Nile virus in people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is almost no fatigue, but one in five people have symptoms such as fever. One in 150 infected people develops serious and sometimes fatal illnesses.

“And the next few weeks and months of this kind of hot weather we are experiencing now are perfect for the West Nile virus and the mosquitoes that carry it. It’s really hot, hot, hot weather. I like it, “said Armstrong. “We are like holding our breath to see what happens.”

Some municipalities couldn’t wait and became hardcore in the fight against bugs. Those towns have begun to treat mosquito-prone storm drains with larvae to kill young people. According to Armstrong, the best technical solution is to use widespread aerial larvae, but this is not practical due to the prevalence of mosquitoes in urban and suburban areas.

“There aren’t many good options for getting rid of mosquitoes,” an entomologist told Patch. “I fully hope that it will spread and continue to expand in the coming weeks and months.”

The traditional springboard for mosquitoes was the community along Interstate Highway 95, lower Fairfield County, and lower New Haven County, from New Haven and Hartford to Greenwich. According to Armstrong, more teams at CAES will return to Milford for additional trapping because they know what they know now, but Bug Hunt can be a bit of a clap.

“We can’t predict exactly when and where it will resurface,” he said.

Scientists know how to reduce the risk of WNV infection. CAES officials advise residents to take the following steps to reduce the risk of mosquito bites:

• Minimize the amount of time mosquitoes spend outdoors from dusk to dawn, when they are most active.
• Make sure the door and window screens fit snugly and are properly repaired.
• Wear shoes, socks, long trousers, and long-sleeved shirts when you are outdoors for extended periods of time or when mosquitoes are more active. The garment should be light in color and made of a tightly woven material to keep mosquitoes away from the skin.
• Use mosquito nets when sleeping outdoors or in unobstructed structures to protect your baby outdoors.
• Consider using an EPA-approved mosquito repellent and follow the instructions if you need to be outdoors.