NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) has detected West Nile-infected mosquitoes in 9 municipalities in the state so far in 2023.

Here’s when and where mosquitoes with a positive WNV were found, listed in alphabetical order.

  • Branford – 7/27
  • East Haddam – 7/31
  • East Haven – 7/27
  • Fairfield – 7/27
  • New Canaan – 8/2
  • South Windsor – 7/27
  • Stamford – 7/26, 7/31
  • Wallingford – 7/25
  • Wethersfield – 7/17, 7/27

“The recent rainfall, high humidity, and warm temperatures have increased mosquito activity and West Nile virus is expected to build up in the weeks ahead,” Dr. Philip Armstrong, a medical entomologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES), said. “We will continue to closely monitor mosquitoes for virus amplification from now through October.”

Armstrong said about 20% of people who become infected will have a fever, rash and muscle aches. In more serious cases, it can develop into deadly cases of encephalitis or meningitis.

The CAES urges residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites and mosquito-borne diseases. They offered the following advice:

  • Minimize time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
  • Be sure door and window screens are tight-fitting and in good repair.
  • Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time or when mosquitoes are more active. Clothing should be light-colored and made of tightly woven materials that keep mosquitoes away from the skin.
  • Use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in an unscreened structure, and protect infants when outdoors.
  • Consider the use of an EPA-approved mosquito repellent and apply it according to directions when it is necessary to be outdoors.

Last season, WNV was detected in 185 mosquito pools from 24 towns in six counties in Connecticut. Most WNV activity was detected in densely populated urban and suburban regions in Fairfield, Hartford and New Haven counties.

Seven human cases of WNV-related illness were reported with onset dates from Aug. 11, 2022, to Sept. 20, 2022.

Visit the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program website to learn more.