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Virtual Meditation Course

EAST HARTFORD — A virtual course, Meditation for Beginners, will be live streamed on Saturday, June 13, at 10 a.m., from Odiyana Buddhist Center. In this course, learn simple meditation techniques and the Buddhist approach to training the mind. The course will remain available online for 48 hours for those that cannot attend live. Cost is $15. Visit https://meditationinconnecticut.org/meditation-for-beginners for more information or to register.

Mosquito Monitoring Program Begins Testing

STATEWIDE — The State of Connecticut Mosquito Management Program is monitoring mosquitoes for the presence of viruses that can cause illness in people including West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis virus.

The mosquito trapping and testing program, coordinated by The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, began on June 1. Statewide mosquito trapping will occur at 108 collection sites in 87 municipalities until the end of October. This includes 16 new trapping locations that were added this year to increase coverage in high risk areas for EEE in eastern Connecticut.

“Last year, we experienced a resurgence of EEE virus activity in eastern Connecticut that resulted in four human cases with three fatalities,” said Dr. Philip Armstrong, Medical Entomologist at CAES. “This was part of a region-wide increase that also affected Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. We fully expect the virus to return this year so we will be increasing our monitoring efforts in anticipation of this threat.”

“Our state-supported program which began in 1997 provides an effective early warning system for timely detection of mosquito-borne diseases and assessing human risk” said Dr. Jason White, Director, CAES. “Prevention of EEE and West Nile virus relies on robust surveillance and early detection of virus to inform the public and guide disease control measures as warranted.”

Last season, EEE was detected in 28 communities in Connecticut with a total of 122 positive mosquito samples. There were four confirmed human cases of EEE and three individuals died. There were also six horse cases reported, all fatal. The majority of EEE virus activity occurred in Middlesex, New London, and Windham counties, consistent with prior years. EEE is a rare but serious illness in humans with four to eight cases reported in a typical year in the U.S. During 2019, the number of confirmed human cases rose to 38 with 19 cases occurring in New England. EEE is the most severe mosquito-transmitted disease in the U.S. with approximately 33-percent mortality and significant brain damage in most survivors.

During 2019, WNV was identified in 82 mosquito pools from 24 towns in five counties in Connecticut. One human case and one horse case of WNV infection were reported in Fairfield County. WNV occurs every summer in the Northeast and has become the main cause of mosquito-borne illness in this region since it was first introduced into the NYC area in 1999.

The response to mosquito transmitted diseases in Connecticut is a collaborative inter-agency effort involving the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Connecticut. These agencies are responsible for monitoring mosquito populations and the potential public health threat of mosquito-borne diseases.

The CAES maintains a network of 108 mosquito-trapping stations in 87 municipalities throughout the state. Mosquito traps are set Monday through Thursday nights at each site every 10 days on a rotating basis and then twice a week after detection of virus. Mosquitoes are grouped for testing according to species, collection site, and date. Positive findings are reported to local health departments and on the CAES website. Visit https://portal.ct.gov/CAES/Mosquito-Testing/Introductory/State-of-Connecticut-Mosquito-Trapping-and-Arbovirus-Testing-Program and https://portal.ct.gov/mosquito for more information.