Bethel Officials Warn Residents To Reduce Risk Of Mosquito Bites

BETHEL, CT — The Town of Bethel is warning residents to protect themselves against bug bites as the risk of mosquito-borne diseases in Connecticut has been escalating.

The warning comes a few days after the Connecticut Department of Agriculture reported the first case of eastern equine encephalitis for 2024 in a horse in Fairfield County.

EEE is not spread by horse-to-horse or horse-to-human contact. It is a viral disease transmitted through the bites of mosquitoes.

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station has detected EEE-positive mosquitoes in 11 Connecticut towns this year, including Canterbury, Farmington, Griswold, Ledyard, Lyme, Manchester, North Stonington, Plainfield, Sterling, Stonington, and Voluntown.

WNV-infected mosquitoes have been detected in 43 Connecticut towns. CAES regularly reports mosquito testing results to local health departments and on the CAES website.

"We've identified another mosquito in our area that tested positive for West Nile Virus," Bethel officials warned on Facebook. "It's a good time to refresh our mosquito bite prevention practices."

State health officials suggest residents try to reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes by doin the following:

• Minimize time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
• When it is necessary to be outdoors, use mosquito repellents containing an EPA-registered active ingredient, including DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. EPA registration of skin-applied repellent products indicates that they have been evaluated and approved for human safety and effectiveness when applied according to instructions on the label.
• Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time, or when mosquitoes are more active. Clothing should be light-colored and loose-fitting and made of tightly woven materials that keep mosquitoes away from the skin.
• Wear clothing and gear treated with permethrin. Permethrin is an insecticide that kills or repels mosquitoes and ticks.
• Be sure door and window screens are tight-fitting and in good repair.
• When sleeping outdoors, use tents or mosquito netting in an unscreened structure. Treat camping gear with permethrin when possible.
• Cover strollers and baby carriers with mosquito nets when outside.