For Release: September 25, 1998

Contact: Alan Gettman, Ph.D. 222-6151

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management received test results this afternoon showing that three pools of exclusively bird-biting mosquitoes from three traps in South County have tested positive for the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus. The pools were among those collected from traps set statewide September 21.

The positive results came from the species Culiseta, which does not feed on humans or other mammals and therefore represents no direct threat to human health, according to Dr. Alan Gettman, DEM's Mosquito Abatement Coordinator.

The pools came from a trap set at the Peckham Farm in South Kingstown , from a new trap set on Curtis Corner Road in South Kingstown, and from a trap set on Switch Road in Richmond. It is the first time EEE has shown up this year in mosquitoes trapped in Richmond.

DEM began trapping and testing mosquitoes at 18 trap sites in mid-June. Since then, the department has been routinely testing on a weekly basis at 23 sites statewide. Testing will continue through October.

"Although EEE has not shown up in trapped mammal-biting mosquitoes," Gettman said, "people should continue to take common sense precautions to reduce exposure to mosquitoes until the first hard frost." EEE in bird-biting mosquitoes is common at this time of year, and indicates that EEE is present in birds. It is the third week in a row it has been detected in bird-biting mosquitoes trapped in South County.

Those precautions include ensuring that screens are in good repair; reducing unnecessary outdoor activity at dusk and dawn; wearing protective clothing such as long pants and long-sleeved shirts; and applying products containing the mosquito repellent DEET to clothing. Formulations that contain more than 30 percent DEET are unnecessary and may enhance skin reactions on some people. Repellents should not be used on infants, and children should be cautioned to avoid getting repellents in their eyes. Residents should also keep their back years free of water-holding containers that create areas where mosquitoes can breed.

The mosquito abatement program has information on a website: www.uri.edu/research/eee There is also a DEM webpage with rabies contacts information.