A warmer climate means mosquito season is getting longer, prompting not only an increase in the pesky insects but also greater potential for them to spread diseases like West Nile virus.
To help reduce the risk In New York City, expert “insect hunters” track the summer pests among the trees and marshes of parks that residents use to escape the summer heat.
Vector ecologist Zurina Yusoff kills mosquito eggs with a bulky pellet sprayer strapped to her back, while co-worker Hamiltan Simean lays overnight traps for adult mosquitoes. The mosquitoes are then delivered to the public health lab for testing and are sorted by mosquito species.
“When we find a positive sample for West Nile or anything else, we can then increase our mitigation and control methods,” said Dr. Ashwin Bassan, New York City’s health commissioner. “A lot of these viruses are moving further and further north.”
Public health teams of insect hunters start their work during cooler months, counting hibernating mosquitos and dark damp places. That census determines where to focus summer mitigation efforts.
Other mosquito-borne viruses include dengue fever. U.S. health officials recently warned doctors to be alert for dengue as cases this year break international records. Puerto Rico is experiencing an epidemic of dengue, as is much of Latin America, while limited local spread of the virus has also been reported in Florida, Hawaii, Texas, Arizona and California.