The 海角换妻 Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) is continuing to report more positive cases of West Nile virus among mosquitoes in the state. Experts say the excessive warm, damp conditions this summer are helping the insects thrive.
Mosquitoes proliferate when there are high temperatures, humidity and standing water. This summer, the state saw that a lot 鈥� with and in July.
Over 280,000 mosquitoes have been trapped and tested so far this year in 海角换妻, according to . That鈥檚 a major increase from the amount normally expected this time of year, according to Dr. Philip Armstrong, program director of the 海角换妻 Mosquito Monitoring Program.
鈥淲e were on track for a normal year, and then with all that heavy rainfall, the numbers really surged in the late season,鈥� Armstrong said.
The insects may become more abundant into the fall, he said, but mosquito 鈥渟eason鈥� in 海角换妻 typically ends by the first hard frost, usually around October. But as climate change , that could change.
Hotter summers can also create a higher risk of West Nile virus transmission, Armstrong said. So far this year, only one 海角换妻 resident has contracted West Nile virus and has since recovered, according to state health officials.
But shows over 100 mosquitoes at have tested positive for West Nile virus this year, which is up from about The majority of the infected mosquitoes were trapped in Glastonbury, Wethersfield, Norwalk, Darien and Stamford.
Overall collection numbers tend to fluctuate year to year, depending on the weather. The data helps the state and towns decide where to focus mitigation efforts, Armstrong said.
鈥淚t gives us advance warning of the risk to humans,鈥� Armstrong said. 鈥淵ou can track the virus amplification and there's usually a period of virus build up before humans get exposed.鈥�
On Sept. 1, the state also reported that , tested positive for , a very rare but severe illness that can infect humans. The last major outbreak of EEE was in 2019, with 19 cases across New England.
While there鈥檚 no 鈥渕agic bullet鈥� approach to reducing mosquitoes, Armstrong said, residents should still take steps to prevent getting bites, from removing standing water in and around the home, to wearing long clothing and insect repellent when outdoors for a while.
More information on preventing mosquito bites is on .
