Kingston – Monday, September 29, 2003 — Officials from the Rhode Island
Departments of Health and Department of Environmental Management are
recommending that outdoor public assemblies in Washington County that occur
at times of high mosquito biting activity be rescheduled, relocated, or, if
necessary, canceled.
The University is in the process of rescheduling its early evening athletic
competitions and practices, the first of which is a Men’s Atlantic 10 soccer
game scheduled in Kingston for Friday, October 3. Announcements will be
made regarding the rescheduling of athletic or other events at the Kingston
Campus. For updated information, check the website at www.uri.edu, call
(401)-874-NEWS or 874-1000.
People should routinely use mosquito repellent, and cover up when mosquito
biting activity is greatest, particularly at dusk and dawn.
DEM has advised that all residents and visitors to Washington County step up
personal protection from mosquito bites and consider restricting or
curtailing outdoor activities when biting activity is high. By this time in
the season, risk of infection is at its peak, although biting activity is
beginning to decline with the onset of cooler weather.
The Department of Environmental Management on Friday received test results
showing that three additional pools from Westerly and South Kingstown tested
positive for mosquitoes with Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and one pool
in South Kingstown tested positive for West Nile Virus. All four were of the
species Culex pipiens, which primarily bite birds but sometimes bite humans
and other mammals.
The positive results are additional confirmation of mosquito-borne disease
in the environment. When combined with previous findings of EEE-positive
mosquito pools in the southern part of Rhode Island, as well as in
Connecticut and Massachusetts, the results indicate a higher than average
risk year for EEE.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of EEE
virus range from mild, flu-like illness to encephalitis (inflammation of the
brain) leading to coma and death in 35 percent of cases.
Biting activity depends on several conditions. During the day it decreases
in sunny areas at lower temperatures and increases in shady areas at higher
temperatures. Biting activity also generally increases with high humidity
and with low wind.
In Westerly, the mosquitoes were collected from one trap in the downtown
area and from one trap in the area of Chapman Swamp. In South Kingstown, an
EEE-positive mosquito pool was collected from a trap in the Perryville area,
at the site of an earlier capture, and a mosquito with West Nile Virus was
collected from a trap in a pool in the Matunuck area.
Although Washington County is showing higher than usual numbers of pools
containing mosquitoes contaminated with EEE, and people in that area of the
state should take extra precautions, it is important for all Rhode Islanders
to continue to protect themselves against mosquito bites, since
mosquito-borne disease, particularly West Nile Virus, is prevalent
throughout the state.
To date, in Rhode Island, eight mosquito pools in two communities have
tested positive for EEE, and two horses and one emu have died of the
disease. Four pools in four communities have tested positive for mosquitoes
with West Nile Virus, the Department of Health has reported two human cases
of the disease, and DEM has tallied more than 600 West-Nile-suspect birds
from throughout the state.
-30-
Linda A. Acciardo
Director of Communications
Phone: (401) 874-2116
FAX: (401) 874-7872
EMAIL: Lindaa@advance.uri.edu
Departments of Health and Department of Environmental Management are
recommending that outdoor public assemblies in Washington County that occur
at times of high mosquito biting activity be rescheduled, relocated, or, if
necessary, canceled.
The University is in the process of rescheduling its early evening athletic
competitions and practices, the first of which is a Men’s Atlantic 10 soccer
game scheduled in Kingston for Friday, October 3. Announcements will be
made regarding the rescheduling of athletic or other events at the Kingston
Campus. For updated information, check the website at www.uri.edu, call
(401)-874-NEWS or 874-1000.
People should routinely use mosquito repellent, and cover up when mosquito
biting activity is greatest, particularly at dusk and dawn.
DEM has advised that all residents and visitors to Washington County step up
personal protection from mosquito bites and consider restricting or
curtailing outdoor activities when biting activity is high. By this time in
the season, risk of infection is at its peak, although biting activity is
beginning to decline with the onset of cooler weather.
The Department of Environmental Management on Friday received test results
showing that three additional pools from Westerly and South Kingstown tested
positive for mosquitoes with Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and one pool
in South Kingstown tested positive for West Nile Virus. All four were of the
species Culex pipiens, which primarily bite birds but sometimes bite humans
and other mammals.
The positive results are additional confirmation of mosquito-borne disease
in the environment. When combined with previous findings of EEE-positive
mosquito pools in the southern part of Rhode Island, as well as in
Connecticut and Massachusetts, the results indicate a higher than average
risk year for EEE.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of EEE
virus range from mild, flu-like illness to encephalitis (inflammation of the
brain) leading to coma and death in 35 percent of cases.
Biting activity depends on several conditions. During the day it decreases
in sunny areas at lower temperatures and increases in shady areas at higher
temperatures. Biting activity also generally increases with high humidity
and with low wind.
In Westerly, the mosquitoes were collected from one trap in the downtown
area and from one trap in the area of Chapman Swamp. In South Kingstown, an
EEE-positive mosquito pool was collected from a trap in the Perryville area,
at the site of an earlier capture, and a mosquito with West Nile Virus was
collected from a trap in a pool in the Matunuck area.
Although Washington County is showing higher than usual numbers of pools
containing mosquitoes contaminated with EEE, and people in that area of the
state should take extra precautions, it is important for all Rhode Islanders
to continue to protect themselves against mosquito bites, since
mosquito-borne disease, particularly West Nile Virus, is prevalent
throughout the state.
To date, in Rhode Island, eight mosquito pools in two communities have
tested positive for EEE, and two horses and one emu have died of the
disease. Four pools in four communities have tested positive for mosquitoes
with West Nile Virus, the Department of Health has reported two human cases
of the disease, and DEM has tallied more than 600 West-Nile-suspect birds
from throughout the state.
-30-
Linda A. Acciardo
Director of Communications
Phone: (401) 874-2116
FAX: (401) 874-7872
EMAIL: Lindaa@advance.uri.edu