SERIOUS BUG ALERT: West Nile detected in Charlestown

DEM samples test positive (just in time for Rhythm & Roots)

Be careful out there

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the Rhode Island Department of Health, (HEALTH) announce that two samples of mosquitoes collected on August 19 have tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV). 

These findings are not unexpected at this time of the year. Test results on the remaining 140 pools of mosquitoes collected on August 19 are pending at the RI Health Department laboratory.

One sample, or pool, of mosquitoes was collected in the Cross Mills area of Charlestown, and was a species that can bite both birds and humans. Given this positive finding, DEM and HEALTH are advising individuals attending the RI Rhythm and Roots Music Festival this weekend in Charlestown's Ninigret Park to take extra care to avoid mosquito bites.

The second positive WNV mosquito pool was collected in West Kingston and was a species that feeds exclusively on birds.

This year, to date in Rhode Island, three pools of mosquitoes have tested positive for West Nile Virus and no mosquitoes have tested positive for EEE. There have been no reported 2013 cases of WNV or EEE in humans in Rhode Island at this time.

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 activities.
• Use bug spray. Use mosquito and tick repellent with no more than 30 percent DEET during outdoor activities, particularly at dusk and during evening hours, when mosquitoes are most active. Do not use repellent on infants. Instead, put mosquito netting over playpens and baby carriages.
• Time activities for maximum protection. If possible, minimize outdoor activities between dusk and dawn.
• Evaluate the environment. Be sure all open windows are screened, repair any holes in screens, and fix loose screens. 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."

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) or "W" (West Nile Virus) under "Health Topics".