FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                               Connecticut Department of Public Health

July 27, 2011                                                               Contact: William Gerrish

                                                                                    (860) 509-7270

                                                                                    Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

                                                                                    Contact: Dr. Theodore Andreadis

                                                                                    (203) 974-8510

Hartford – The State Mosquito Management Program today announced that mosquitoes trapped in two locations in Stamford on July 14 and 18, 2011 tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV). These results represent the first positive mosquitoes identified in Stamford by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) this year. Additional mosquitoes trapped in two locations in Bridgeport also tested positive for WNV.

“We continue to find infected mosquitoes in an increasing number of locations in lower Fairfield County,” said Dr. Theodore G. Andreadis, Chief Medical Entomologist, CAES. “We can expect an intensifying and expanding build-up of West Nile virus activity in mosquitoes in the coming weeks, especially in densely populated communities along the I-95 corridor in coastal Fairfield and New Haven counties.”

In 2011, WNV-positive mosquitoes have been trapped in 4 municipalities; Bridgeport, Greenwich, Orange, and Stamford. No Connecticut residents have been identified with illnesses related to WNV infections this year.

The state uses a network of 91 mosquito-trapping stations in 72 municipalities maintained by the CAES to monitor WNV activity. Mosquito traps are set Monday – Thursday nights and 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 web site at www.ct.gov/caes.

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

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