By VINAYA SAKSENA

PROVIDENCE — Pools of mosquitoes caught in Pawtucket and Central Falls are among those that have tested positive for West Nile Virus, according to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM).

In a statement released Tuesday, the DEM said the virus was detected in pools of mosquitoes trapped between August 29 and September 9, and that all of those mosquitoes were “of the species that bite birds as well as mammals.” The first pool was trapped near the airport in Westerly on August 29, while two others were caught in Central Falls and Pawtucket (“at the lower end of the Blackstone River”), the DEM said. Two other pools captured in Pawtucket’s Woodlawn and the Smith Hill section of Providence on September 9, have also tested positive, according to the DEM.
West Nile Virus is found in mosquitoes and birds, and is often exchanged back and forth between them, with the risk of infection reaching a peak at this time of year.
However, the DEM pointed out that “human health is directly affected only by the bite of an infected mosquito.”
Because of the risk of infection via mosquito bites, the DEM is warning citizens to continue working to protect themselves from mosquito bites until their presence is eliminated by the first hard frost, which it says will occur in October.
“People should routinely use mosquito repellent, and cover up when mosquito biting activity is greatest, particularly from dusk to dawn, place mosquito netting over playpens and carriages outside, and be sure that screens are in good repair,” the DEM advised in its statement. “Mosquito repellent should contain no more than 30 percent DEET, and it should not be used on infants.”
The DEM said it conducts weekly mosquito trappings statewide, with the results reported weekly and additional reports being made and more trapping being done if it is deemed necessary. This year, West Nile has been found in nine mosquito pools, though Eastern Equine Encephalitis has not been found in any of them, according to the DEM.
For more information on mosquito-borne disease, the DEM recommends going to their website, located at www.state.dem.ri.gov and clicking on the “Public Health Updates” link. Alternately, they recommend the Rhode Island Department of Health’s website, located at www.health.ri.gov, where visitors can go to the “Health Topics” menu and click on “E” for Eastern Equine Encephalitis or “W” for West Nile Virus. The DEM can also be reached by phone at its General Information phone number: 401-222-6800.