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Official: West Nile detected in Connecticut mosquito pools; no human cases reported this year
Summary
A public health official said West Nile virus has been detected in mosquito pools in parts of Fairfield County and elsewhere in Connecticut, that mosquito surveillance runs from early summer into fall, and recommended precautions to avoid bites; no human cases have been reported so far this year.
Public health official said West Nile virus has been detected in mosquito samples in several Connecticut towns, including parts of Fairfield County, but the state has not recorded a human case this year. "We monitor the mosquitoes throughout the state starting in the early summer and going into the early fall practically, looking for the pools of mosquitoes that may be having West Nile virus in them," the official said.
The official said mosquito surveillance allows public-health authorities to issue warnings and that local health departments sometimes run campaigns to reduce mosquito populations where West Nile is detected. "We have not had a human case this year yet, but we do that so that we can help issue warnings to people and to local communities," the official said, adding that response activities are governed at the local level.
Health officials advised extra precautions at dawn and dusk, wearing long sleeves, using EPA-registered repellents and reducing standing water where mosquitoes breed. "You wanna be extra careful at dawn and dusk wearing longer sleeve clothing, trying to protect yourself from mosquito bites, wearing insecticide to prevent getting mosquito bites," the official said.
No new control orders, mandates or funding measures were announced during the segment; the remarks were informational and described surveillance and common prevention measures.
