Some say the mosquito is the unofficial bird of the northern New England states, but this year the pesky insects took it easy on the hikers and beachgoers they are famous for plaguing in Maine and New Hampshire.
Vermont was not so lucky.
Maine state epidemiologist Siiri Bennett said the summer’s hot, dry weather made the 2015 mosquito season a light year for the bloodsuckers in her state.
The dry weather meant there weren’t as many standing pools of water to serve as breeding grounds, Bennett said.
“As the temperature falls over the next few weeks, we should see a drop in mosquitoes,” she said.
New Hampshire had no eastern equine encephalitis detected and only three batches tested positive for West Nile virus. In 2014, a severe year, 18 batches tested positive for EEE and two of three infected people died from the disease, officials said.
Only one pool in Maine tested positive for EEE, and none for West Nile virus, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention spokesman John Martins said. In 2014, 22 pools tested positive for EEE, he said.
Mosquito populations in Vermont were mixed, state entomologist Alan Graham said. The amount of West Nile virus in mosquitoes also jumped in the state, as 85 mosquito pools have tested positive for the disease compared to eight last year, according to the Vermont Health Department.
The species that are good vectors for West Nile prefer to breed in small areas of stagnant water that are not flushed out by frequent rain such as rain gutters and pool covers as opposed to flood areas, state epidemiologist Patsy Kelso said.
The diseases have been on the public health radar. A Maine resident developed West Nile virus symptoms after returning from travels to several mid-Atlantic states, the Maine CDC has said. It’s unknown where the individual contracted the illness.
The best way to avoid the diseases is to avoid mosquito bites, said Bennett, who added that residents should stay away from mosquito areas at dawn and dusk and wear long sleeves and insect repellent.
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