DEM releases first mosquito report of summer: no West Nile Virus, EEE detected

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management said that it has completed tests on the first set of mosquitos for the 2023 season.

The tested mosquitos contained no findings of West Nile Virus or Eastern Equine Encephalitis. The results are from 101 samples collected from 26 traps set statewide on June 5 and 12.

The department said that West Nile Virus is the most common mosquito-borne disease, and that one Eastern Equine Encephalitis case was detected in 2022.

RIDEM added that residents can help with mosquito control by removing backyard larval habitats, such as clogged gutters and puddles.

Neither Connecticut nor Massachusetts have reported any findings of either disease this year.