Mosquito Spraying To Close New London County State Forest

GRISWOLD, CT — The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)’s Mosquito Management Program sprayed for mosquitoes in the Mt. Misery area of Pachaug State Forest in Griswold on Thursday afternoon.

Entrances to the state forest will be closed beginning at 2 p.m. Thursday, and the forest and nearby roads will be closed for the evening, re-opening at 8 a.m. Friday.

The end of mosquito season is approaching, and there have been no cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in humans so far this season. However, the risk level in the eastern part of the state for EEE virus remains elevated.

Mosquitoes collected earlier this month in New London County tested positive for EEE and West Nile Virus. EEE has been detected in the following towns this year: Canterbury, Griswold, Hampton, Killingly, Ledyard, Mansfield, Plainfield, Stonington, Thompson, Tolland, Voluntown, Willington, and Woodstock. No human or animal cases have been reported in Connecticut in 2023.

EEE is a rare but serious illness in humans. Four to eight cases are reported in a typical year in the U.S. EEE is the most severe mosquito-transmitted disease in the U.S., with approximately 40 percent mortality and neurological impairment in most survivors.

To reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes, the DEEP recommends residents:

• Minimize time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
• Consider the use of mosquito repellents containing an EPA-registered active ingredient, including DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-methane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone when it is necessary to be outdoors.
• 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.
• Be sure door and window screens are tight-fitting and in good repair.
• Use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in an unscreened structure and to protect infants when outdoors.

For information on EEE, West Nile Virus, and other mosquito-borne diseases, what can be done to prevent getting bitten by mosquitoes, the latest mosquito test results, and human infections, visit the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program website at https://portal.ct.gov/mosquito