PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WPRI) — West Nile Virus (WNV) has been detected in Rhode Island for the first time this year.
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) says the positive mosquito samples were collected in Pawtucket on July 15. The samples tested negative for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus or Jamestown Canyon Virus (JCV).
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Two samples of mosquitos have previously tested positive for EEE this summer. In Connecticut, there have been four findings of EEE and 48 findings of WNV. There were 27 findings of WNV and 14 EEE findings in Massachusetts this year.
The DEM says WNV is becoming more prevalent and is not normally detected in Rhode Island until early August.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, WNV is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the United States. There are no vaccines or medicines to treat the virus in people.
Most people who develop WNV don’t feel sick, but the DEM says one in five people who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms. The virus can be deadly in some cases.
EEE is extremely rare in humans but is more serious than WNV with a much higher human mortality rate. The DEM says 30% of people with EEE die and many survivors have ongoing neurological problems.
You can protect yourself from mosquitos by putting screens on windows and making sure there is no standing water on your property. The DEM also recommends cleaning your gutters and adding Larvicide treatments like mosquito dunks, using EPA-approved bug spray and avoiding going outside at sunrise and sundown.