Greenwich Asks Residents to Continue with Mosquito Protection Measures Till First Hard Frost

While mosquito breeding season may be nearing its end in the US, showing a gradual decrease in the number of mosquito-borne diseases being recorded including the likes of chikungunya, dengue, malaria and zika, the risk of diseases is not completely gone. Thus, according to a report in Greenwich Sentinel, residents have been asked to continue taking precautionary measures when outdoors to avoid mosquito bites.

According to the report, mosquito activity goes down when the temperatures fall below 50 degree Fahrenheit in the evening. However, the report added that the cases of mosquito bites would not get completely eliminated until the place is hit by the first hard frost which would eliminate the adult breeding mosquitoes. The report added that according to meteorologists, a hard frost is defined as two consecutive hours of temperatures below 28 degree Fahrenheit and three hours below 32 degree Fahrenheit.

According to the report, so far the West Nile Virus has been isolated from mosquitoes in 27 towns which include Greenwich and only one human case has been identified in Connecticut. On the other hand, the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus has not been isolated from mosquitoes in Greenwich. However, 22 towns in Connecticut have managed to isolate EEE from mosquitoes. The report further added that there have been 4 human cases of EEE including three fatalities in the southeastern part of Connecticut.

The Greenwich Sentinel cited the State Department of Public Health, according to whom, the Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station (CAES) will continue to monitor the state of mosquitoes by trapping and testing them for West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis until the first hard frost arrives to eliminate them.

The report further added that to reduce risk of being bitten by infected mosquitoes, Greenwich residents should minimize the time they spend outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active. Furthermore they urge doors and windows to be tight fitting and asked people to sport long pants, socks, shows and long -sleeved shirts when venturing outdoors. They furthermore advised people to use netting while sleeping and consider using mosquito repellents when necessary.