Media Release

For: Immediate Release
Date: September 13, 2002
Contact: Helen Drew 401-623-0397

Health Department reports first mosquitoes Positive for West Nile Virus in Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE--September 13 The Rhode Island Department of Health today reported the first mosquito pool found positive for West Nile Virus (WNV) in Rhode Island this year. The mosquitoes were trapped in late August in the city of Providence.

Although this is the first positive mosquito identified in the Department of Health (HEALTH) laboratory in 2002, WNV-positive birds have been reported throughout the state this year.

"This is a reminder of how important it is for everyone to use personal protection and eliminate mosquito breeding places," says Patricia A. Nolan, MD, MPH, Director of Health. "The dry early summer kept the mosquito population low until mid August, but the recent rains and continuing hot weather provide perfect late summer breeding conditions."

The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) issued a mosquito advisory yesterday, stating that "the heavy rainfall of two weeks ago resulted in pools of standing water, a habitat for immature mosquitoes. The rising water levels at that time hatched mosquito eggs that had been dormant during the long summer drought."

All Rhode Island residents are encouraged to avoid contact with mosquitoes by :

• Making sure all door and window screens are in good repair--and making sure the screen doors are closed.
• Applying mosquito repellant contain 20%-30% DEET whenever going outside. And covering infants and toddlers with clothing or placing mosquito netting over playpens and strollers.
• Wearing long sleeves and long pants outside during the mosquito biting hours at dawn and dusk.
• Eliminating all standing water sources around the yard, courtyard or parking area. These includes old tires, buckets, pails and watering cans, flower pots, children's sandboxes, wading pools, pool covers and any depressions in pavement or the ground that create slow-drying puddles.
• For areas of standing water difficult to eliminate, such as pool covers and drainage ditches, larvacide "donuts" are available at local hardware stores and home stores.

Rhode Island began testing birds and mosquitoes for WNV three summers ago. The trap which tested positive in late August held two mosquitoes of the species Culex piplens, which bites mammals as well as birds. When the Providence pool tested positive in a tissue culture, a molecular method was used to check the results.

DEM will continue conducting mosquito and bird surveillance through the end of October. Residents are encouraged to call the bird surveillance hotline - 788-3698 - to report crows or bluejays that have died within 24 hours of discovery and that show no signs of external injury. Although only a sampling of birds that meet these criteria will be retrieved for testing, DEM will map the locations of the birds reported in order to assess potential hotspots for additional mosquito trapping and testing.

HEALTH posts mosquito and bird test results and in-depth information on WNV on its website, www.heathri.org . Information is also available on protection measure from HEALTH's Family Health Information Line at 1-800-942-7434 (open normal working hours).