Mosquitoes test positive for rare, potentially deadly virus in Connecticut

Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a serious but rare virus, has been detected in mosquitoes for the first time this year in Connecticut, according to state health officials.

Mosquitoes trapped in the Pachaug State Forest in Voluntown on September 23 tested positive for the virus, the Department of Public Health announced Saturday. The agency is recommending that residents in southeastern Connecticut take precautions against mosquitoes.

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station tests showed the infected mosquitoes were both bird-biting and mammal-biting species.