3rd Mosquito Tests Positive For West Nile Virus In Manchester This Summer

MANCHESTER, CT — A third case of West Nile Virus has been detected in mosquitoes tested in Manchester this summer.

The latest results were released by the the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station on Tuesday.

In a sample collected Aug. 11 on Oak Grove Street, a single mosquito tested positive for the virus. That joins two that tested positive on July 29.

The positive results are minute. In all, 420 mosquitos have been tested at the Oak Grove collection station this summer, according to the DEEP.

Click here for the latest statewide results. No human infections have been reported so far this season.

Dr. Philip Armstrong, chief scientist at CAES, has continually emphasized the importance of personal protection. “Now is the time to take precautions against mosquito bites,” he said, encouraging the use of insect repellent and protective clothing, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.

To reduce mosquito exposure, health officials recommend:

• Avoiding outdoor activity during peak mosquito hours (dusk to dawn)
• Using EPA-registered repellents containing DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, PMD, or 2-undecanone
• Wearing long sleeves, pants, and light-colored, tightly woven clothing
• Using permethrin-treated clothing and gear
• Ensuring window and door screens are intact
• Using mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or covering strollers and baby carriers

The CAES operates 108 mosquito-trapping stations in 88 municipalities, with traps rotated every ten days and increased to weekly testing following any detection of virus activity. Mosquitoes are grouped and tested by species, location, and date, with results shared with local health departments and available on the CAES website.Connecticut’s mosquito surveillance and response efforts are coordinated by several agencies, including the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Department of Public Health, Department of Agriculture, CAES, and the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Connecticut.

More information about West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalitis, mosquito test results, and prevention can be found at the state government website here.