It’s officially mosquito season, according to state scientists

NEW HAVEN, CT (WFSB) - The State of Connecticut Mosquito Management Program announced on Tuesday that it is now monitoring mosquitoes for the presence of viruses that can make people sick.

The viruses include West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis virus.

The mosquito trapping and testing program, coordinated by The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, officially started on May 31. It runs through the end of October.

“We will be trapping and testing mosquitoes from 108 locations statewide from now until October,” said Dr. Philip Armstrong, medical entomologist, CAES. “Typically, West Nile virus activity peaks from July-September, especially in densely-populated areas of lower Fairfield and New Haven Counties, and the Hartford metropolitan area. Seasonal transmission of EEE virus, in contrast, occurs more sporadically with focal areas located in rural areas of eastern Connecticut.”

Last season, West Nile was detected in 208 mosquito pools from 43 towns in all eight counties in Connecticut, the CAES said.

Six confirmed human cases of West Nile infection were reported from Fairfield, Hartford, and New Haven Counties with dates of onset from Aug. 20 to Oct. 10. The virus occurs every summer in the northeast and has become the main cause of mosquito-borne illness in this region since it was first introduced into the New York City area in 1999.

During 2021, EEE was detected in two mosquito pools collected from one town in New London County. There were no EEE infections reported in humans or horses. EEE is a rare but serious illness in humans with four to eight cases reported in a typical year in the U.S. During 2019, the number of confirmed human cases rose to 38 with four cases (three fatalities) occurring in Connecticut.

More information about the state’s mosquito testing program can be found on its website here.

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