West Nile Case Prompts Warning To ‘Dump It Out’

By John Voket

With the news that Connecticut has identified its first West Nile infected mosquito of 2009, Newtown Health District Director Donna Culbert is imploring residents to regularly canvass their property for anywhere standing water might be providing a breeding incubator for the pesky bugs.

“There’s just so much water we have to be really diligent,” Ms Culbert said. “If you do discover any standing water, even as little as a cup full, dump it out.”

Despite homeowners’ best efforts, the local health director admitted 2009 will be an extremely challenging summer to keep mosquito populations in check.

“There’s just so much extra water in our environment from all the rain we’ve been having, it’s really hard to do anything about all of it,” she said.

This means going to extra measures to protect one’s self, Ms Culbert said, including avoiding activities during dawn or dusk periods, which are the prime feeding times when potentially infected mosquitoes are most active.

The State Mosquito Management Program reported on July 24 that mosquitoes trapped in Stratford on July 15 tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV). These are the first WNV-positive mosquitoes identified by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) this year.

“The isolation of WNV at this time of the season is expected in Connecticut,” said Theodore G. Andreadis, PhD, chief medical entomologist, CAES. “Based on past experience, WNV activity in mosquitoes will continue to increase through the summer and early fall. Fortunately, Connecticut has an extensive statewide mosquito monitoring program.”

In 2008, eight Connecticut residents were identified with WNV infection; they included three residents of Bridgeport, two in Stamford, and one each in Fairfield, Sherman, and a Greenwich resident who was apparently infected while traveling out of the state. There were no fatalities.

“This is the eleventh year that West Nile virus has been found in Connecticut. The recent announcement of WNV-positive mosquitoes in Stratford should be taken seriously,” said Dr J. Robert Galvin, Department of Public Health (DPH) Commissioner. “Residents should take precautions to avoid mosquito bites during the mosquito season and eliminate standing water on their properties.”

Monitoring and risk assessment for WNV emphasizes mosquito trapping and testing results. The CAES maintains a network of 91 mosquito-trapping stations in 72 municipalities throughout the state.

Mosquito traps are set Monday–Thursday nights with trapping 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 website.

For information on West Nile virus and what individuals can do to prevent getting bitten by mosquitoes, visit the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program website at www.ct.gov/mosquito.