New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Health officials: West Nile virus found in Branford
West Nile virus has been found in mosquitoes trapped in North Branford and Branford, according to the East Shore District Health Department.
The health department said in a release that it received confirmation of the finding from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, the first time this year the disease was found in the district.
The mosquitoes were collected from a CAES trap in the vicinity of Cedar Lake in North Branford and the area of Hosley Avenue in Branford, the release said.
According to the release, the CAES has found West Nile virus in 29 municipalities so far this season, and “(f)rom June through the month of August, CAES has captured 120 specimens of mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus. Two human cases of WNV have been reported this summer in Bridgeport and West Haven.”
According to the health department, measures people can take to minimize exposure to mosquitoes include:
Minimize time spent outdoors around dusk and dawn.
Be sure door and window screens are tight fitting and in good repair.
Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt when and where mosquitoes are most active.
Use mosquito netting when sleeping and to protect small babies when outdoors.
Consider the use of mosquito repellent containing DEET when it is necessary to be outdoors.
The East Shore District Health also provided tips to eliminate mosquito breeding areas, including:
Dispose of water holding containers, such as ceramic pots, used tires, tire swings.
Drill holes in bottoms of recycling containers.
Clean clogged roof gutters
Turn over plastic wading pools, wheelbarrows, etc.
Change water in bird baths on a weekly basis.
Clean and chlorinate swimming pools that are not being used, including pool covers.
Use landscaping to eliminate standing water on your property.
For more information, visit https://portal.ct.gov/mosquito.