Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island officials are warning that Eastern equine encephalitis has been found in mosquitoes in the state for the first time this year.
The state Department of Environmental Management said Wednesday that a sample of mosquitoes collected August 1 in Chapman Swamp in Westerly tested positive for the disease.
The agency says the finding is not unexpected. The positive mosquito pool is a species that primarily bites birds and is largely responsible for maintaining the virus in the bird population. There are no confirmed human cases of Eastern equine encephalitis in Rhode Island.
West Nile virus also was found in mosquitoes in the state last week. It has also been detected in mosquitoes in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Mosquitoes are trapped weekly by DEM and tested from late June through September.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
