Mosquito population falls; EEE still present

The number of mosquitoes with a potentially deadly illness is declining in the state, but health authorities said residents should remain vigilant.

To date, three people in Connecticut have died from Eastern Equine Encephalitis and a fourth was hospitalized with the illness. But as the state heads deeper into fall, mosquitoes are less plentiful as is mosquitoborne disease.

Between Sept. 30 and Oct. 3, 1,405 mosquitoes were trapped in the state, said Philip Armstrong, research scientist and director of the mosquito surveillance program at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. That’s a steep drop from the previous collection period, Sept. 23 to Sept. 26, when 3,042 mosquitoes were collected.

The number of mosquitoes testing positive for EEE is also falling. Armstrong said between Sept. 29 and Oct. 5, three mosquitoes

tested positive for the illness. The previous week, 11 mosquitoes tested positive for the disease.

“We continue to detect EEE virus in mosquitoes but the number of mosquitoes are declining and the risk is going down,” he said.

This season, at least 116 mosquitoes have tested positive for EEE. By comparison, 82 have tested positive for West Nile Virus, which is usually the domi

nant mosquitoborne illness in the state.

Mosquitoes carrying EEE have also been found in towns where the virus isn’t typically detected. For instance, the EEEcarrying mosquitoes that were found in two Fairfield County cities — Shelton and Stamford — are the first detected in the country for roughly a decade.

The three EEE deaths this year have been the state’s first since 2013.

According to the Department of Public Health, about onethird of patients

who develop EEE die from it. DPH said it takes four to 10 days after the bite from an infected mosquito for a person to develop symptoms of EEE. Severe cases of the infection lead to an inflammation of the brain. There is no specific treatment for EEE.

Armstrong said mosquito trapping and testing will continue until the end of October or the first hard frost which kills off the remaining mosquitoes.

“A hard, or killing, frost occurs when temperatures drop below 28 degrees

Fahrenheit for a few consecutive hours,” Armstrong said.

Meanwhile, state officials implore Connecticut residents to protect themselves against mosquitoes.

“Minimize time outside after dusk when the mosquitoes are feeding,” said state DPH spokesman Av Harris. “If you have to be outside, use bug spray (insect repellent) and wear protective clothing like long sleeve shirts and pants. If you feel symptoms coming on, call your medical provider immediately.”

Contributed photo The state’s mosquito population is declining for the season, but officials said residents should still be careful to avoid mosquitoborne diseases. Three people in the state have died from Eastern Equine Encephalitis.