For Release: October 9, 1998

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

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management announced that there was a low catch from mosquitoes trapped last night throughout Rhode Island. The traps included three in Westerly across the river from where Connecticut officials found the presence of Eastern Equine Encephalitis in one pool of mammal-biting mosquitoes trapped on Barn Island in Stonington.

EEE in mammal-biting mosquitoes has not been found in Rhode Island this year in mosquitoes trapped through DEM's mosquito abatement program. However, for four weeks in a row, through the end of September, the presence of EEE was detected in bird-biting mosquitoes trapped in South County.

DEM continues to test for EEE weekly, although it was too cold for mosquitoes to be attracted to traps earlier this week. Traps will be set again on Monday night, weather permitting, and those mosquitoes trapped last night will also be tested, according to Alan Gettman, Ph.D., DEM's mosquito abatement coordinator. Six traps will be set in Westerly, and Gettman will continue to be in contact with Connecticut officials.

"Although EEE has not shown up in trapped mammal-biting mosquitoes in Rhode Island," Gettman, said, "a single isolation such as that in Connecticut would not be historically uncommon. However, people should continue to take common sense precautions to reduce exposure to mosquitoes until the first hard frost."

Gettman noted that mosquito numbers have been low in Massachusetts and Connecticut as well as Rhode Island.

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