By Amir Mohammad
Public Health
Dr. Amir Mohammad
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station has launched its annual surveillance campaign, active from June to October, with 108 mosquito-trapping sites in 88 towns statewide. As summer transitions into autumn/fall, Connecticut’s health authorities have ramped up mosquito trapping arbovirus surveillance for West Nile virus.
I have been receiving notification about the mosquito samples being tested for West Nile virus. There have been no human cases of West Nile reported in Connecticut in 2025 so far. However, mosquitoes carrying the virus have tested positive in 34 towns across the state, with the highest activity in Fairfield and New Haven counties.
“West Nile virus continues to be detected in mosquitoes across Connecticut, with the highest activity observed in Fairfield County, New Haven County and the greater Hartford area,” said John Shepard, a medical entomologist with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.
In the most recent communication from the state Department of Public Health, Wes Nile-positive mosquito samples have been found at trap sites in Orange, New Haven, North Haven and West Haven. It’s a persistent yet preventable public health concern.
West Nile can cause symptoms ranging from mild flu-like conditions to severe neurological disease. While rare, the most vulnerable – older adults and immunocompromised individuals – face serious health threats if infected.
To reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes, residents should:
Dress smartly: 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 loose-fitting and made of tightly woven materials that keep mosquitoes away from the skin.
Fix your screens: Ensure doors and windows are properly screened and without tears.
Adjust outdoor habits: Minimize time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active. Cover strollers and baby carriers with mosquito nets when outside.
Repellent matters: Use Environmental Protection Agency-registered repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or 2-undecanone. EPA registration of skin-applied repellent products indicates that they have been evaluated and approved for human safety and effectiveness when applied according to instructions on the label.
Eliminate still water: Monitor for standing water around the home, especially in artificial containers. Remove even small sources of standing water – flowerpots, buckets, gutters – to disrupt breeding sites. If containers are too large to dump out or flush with fresh water, bacteria-based larvicides such as “mosquito dunks” can be purchased and used following the label instructions.
Stay vigilant, neighbors. Stay healthy.
Dr. Amir Mohammad is the director of public health for the town of Orange.