PROVIDENCE – The Department of Environmental Management announces that test results from the remaining 142 mosquito pools, or samples, from 33 traps set statewide during the week of August 26 are negative for both West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis. The testing results were confirmed by the RI Department of Health (HEALTH) laboratory.
DEM and HEALTH announced last week that both Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile Virus (WNV) were confirmed in samples of mosquitoes collected on August 26 in the Great Swamp in West Kingston. As a result, DEM is setting extra mosquito traps in the South County area for increased assessment.
Throughout the mosquito season, which typically lasts through the first hard frost, residents are encouraged to protect themselves by eliminating mosquito breeding grounds and avoiding mosquito bites. Personal protection is the first line of defense against mosquitoes that can carry diseases such as WNV and EEE and is by far the most effective way of avoiding infection.
To help protect themselves and their families from mosquito-borne illness, Rhode Islanders should:
• Dress for protection. Wear long pants, long-sleeve shirts and socks during outdoor evening and early morning activities.
• Use bug spray. Use mosquito repellent with no more than 30 percent DEET during outdoor activities, particularly at dawn, dusk, and evening hours, when mosquitoes are most active. Do not use repellent on infants. Instead, put mosquito netting over playpens and baby carriages.
• Evaluate the environment. Be sure all open windows are screened, repair any holes in screens, and fix loose screens. Residents and facility groundskeepers should immediately look for and empty standing water following heavy rain, and ensure rain gutters are clear of debris that might trap water. Remove any standing water around yards and houses by emptying planters, wading pools, trash and recycling bins, and other places where water might accumulate to reduce mosquito breeding. Mosquitoes breed in standing water. Just one cup of standing water can produce hundreds of mosquitoes.
• Time activities for maximum protection. If possible, minimize outdoor activities between dusk and dawn. Because horses are susceptible to West Nile Virus and EEE, Rhode Island horse owners are reminded that safe and effective vaccines are available to protect their horses. Horse owners should check with their veterinarian to ensure that their horses are properly immunized.
This year, to date in Rhode Island, four pools of mosquitoes have tested positive for West Nile Virus and one pool of mosquitoes has tested positive for EEE. There have been no reported 2013 cases of WNV or EEE in humans in Rhode Island at this time. Mosquitoes are trapped every week statewide by DEM staff and tested at the RI Department of Health (HEALTH) laboratory. DEM will normally report mosquito test results once a week on a routine basis, with additional reports as necessary. Test results from mosquitoes trapped this week will be included in next week's announcement. Positive mosquito test results will generally trigger additional trapping to assess risk.
For online information about mosquito-borne diseases, go to DEM's website, www.state.dem.ri.gov, and click on "Public Health Updates," or go to the HEALTH website, www.health.ri.gov, and click on "E" (Eastern Equine Encephalitis), "M" (Mosquitoes), or "W" (West Nile Virus) under "Topics & Programs."