“Although the weather has cooled and mosquito populations are declining, the late season detection of EEE virus in eastern Connecticut requires continued monitoring and attention,” said Dr. Philip Armstrong, Medical Entomologist at the CAES. “We will continue to trap and test mosquitoes in this region until the first killing frost."

"Mosquitoes are still active and residents should continue to take measures to prevent mosquito bites especially in wooded areas in eastern Connecticut" said Dr. Theodore Andreadis, Director of the CAES. "This includes using insect repellent and covering bare skin, especially during dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.”

Eastern equine encephalitis is a rare but serious viral disease in people.  On average there are 6 human cases reported each year in the United States. The mortality rate of hospitalized patients is about 30% and approximately one-half of people who survive infection suffer from permanent neurological damage.  In Connecticut, outbreaks of EEE have occurred sporadically in horses and pheasants since 1938. The first locally-acquired human case and fatality occurred in October 2013 in eastern Connecticut. 

The State of Connecticut Mosquito Management Program is a collaborative effort involving the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Agriculture, and the University of Connecticut Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science. These agencies are responsible for monitoring the potential public health threat of mosquito-borne diseases.

The CAES maintains a network of 91 mosquito-trapping stations in 72 municipalities throughout the state. Mosquito traps are set Monday – Thursday nights at each site every ten days on a rotating basis. Mosquitoes are grouped (pooled) for testing according to species, collection site, and date.  Positive findings are reported to local health departments and on the CAES website at https://www.ct.gov/caes/mosquitotesting.

For information on EEE and WNV and how to prevent mosquito bites, visit the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program Web site at www.ct.gov/mosquito.