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West Nile Virus

West Nile Virus Larvicide Program

The State's Lavicide Program
As part of the state's response protocol for mosquito-borne diseases, larvicide is distributed by the Department of Environmental Management to Rhode Island communities. The focus is on larviciding and personal protection.   

What is larviciding?
Cities and towns will place the larvicide in municipal catch basins several times during the mosquito season* to limit the population of house mosquitoes that can carry West Nile Virus. Catch basins are considered prime breeding areas of house mosquitoes in both urban and suburban settings.

State training and distribution of larvicide
The state distributes and provides training of municipal, state and federal employees on larvicide application.  DEM and the Department of Health developed the training protocol.   The use of larvicide is the best way for communities to reduce mosquito numbers and risk.

Types of Larvicide
Two types of larvicide are being distributed - one for stormwater catch basins and the other for all above ground larval habitats. Both are specific to mosquito larvae and have excellent environmental track records.

Changes in the state protocol
The state has revised its response protocol for 2002 based on lessons learned last year and new findings issued by the Centers for Disease Control. 

Because infected birds appear to be poor indicators of disease risk to humans, spraying will be recommended only when a team of mosquito-control experts determines that the public is at substantial risk of being bitten by infected mosquitoes. Through comprehensive larviciding and elimination of mosquito habitat in populated areas of the state, it is hoped that spraying may be avoided altogether.