No signs of EEE in Rhode Island – Providence Eyewitness News
Updated: Tuesday, 11 Oct 2011, 1:32 PM EDT
Published : Tuesday, 11 Oct 2011, 1:32 PM EDT
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - In this situation - negative results are a positive thing.
The latest round of mosquito testing in Rhode Island has come back negative for both Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile Virus (WNV).
The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) has announced that no traces from either disease were found in 108 mosquito pools from 38 traps set statewide during the week of September 26.
EEE has not been detected in Rhode Island this season, though the disease remains a threat in Southeastern Massachusetts.
WNV was isolated from samples collected in Providence on August 22 and in Tiverton on September 19.
Both diseases are prevalent in late summer and early fall.
Even though the mosquito population naturally decreases this time of year, they've remained active due to the unusually warm weather in the Northeast.
The DEM is urging residents to minimize their exposure to mosquito bites through personal protection and the removal of any standing water from yards. Residents are susceptible until the first hard frost eliminates the chance of contracting a mosquito-borne illness.
Further mosquito trapping and testing will be performed by the DEM this week, and results are expected sometime next week.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters featured article: A 'Malign Intellectual Subculture' - George Monbiot Smears Chomsky, Herman, Peterson, Pilger And Media Lens.
