West Nile Virus has been identified in mosquitoes trapped in Westport, and Aspetuck Health District Director Mark A.R. Cooper said other towns in the area have already found mosquitos carrying the virus in the past few weeks.
“There is no reason to panic,” said Mr. Cooper, “but precautions should be exercised to avoid being bitten by mosquitos.”
Current warm and wet weather conditions are favorable for breeding mosquitoes. The first frost, which ends the mosquito season, is some time away, so the concern is that the number of infected mosquitoes will continue to rise, as would the potential for increased human exposure.
The health district reports that mosquitoes deposit eggs in any pool of water they can find “and will be eagerly looking for blood to feed on” when they mature and begin to fly. The mosquitoes testing positive locally were Culex pipens, which predominately feed on birds, but will feed on humans given the opportunity.
Mr. Cooper said no human cases of West Nile Virus have yet been identified in Connecticut.
Still, the health district recommends precautions:
To avoid mosquito bites when outdoors:
More information about West Nile Virus can be found at the Aspetuck Health District’s website and at the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program website.