Epi Week #27 - 2014 General Statements
Mosquito control projects/districts and the state laboratory continue to monitor for both West Nile Virus (WNV) and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEEv), but, as of 7/5/2014, arbovirus still has yet to be detected this season. Based on data from previous years and because of last summer’s WNV and EEEv activity, we can anticipate the first mosquito pool detections very soon.
Temperatures remained above average over this past week, and portions of the state finally received significant rainfall as Hurricane Arthur blew by at the end of the week. Several of the Mosquito Control Districts noted in their reports that at this time in 2013, they were dealing with emergence of floodwater species, which have been suppressed this season by lack of precipitation. However, with Hurricane Arthur dropping a significant amount of rain in some parts of the state in an extremely short time, it is expected that floodwater species will begin emerging in a couple of weeks.
Coquillettidia perturbans and Culex spp. continued to be abundant in most areas. Bristol County reported eleven more Aedes albopictus (Asian Tiger Mosquito) collected this week. MCDs/MCPs continued larviciding of catch basins to combat increasing populations of Culex spp. Several also reported ULV application of adulticides, either for individual resident requests or wide-area spraying.
Massachusetts announced its first four cases of Chikungunya virus, all in people who had recently traveled to the Caribbean.
Weather
The week began as Epi Week 26 ended, very dry, but the end of the week ended with extremely wet weather courtesy of Hurricane Arthur, with locations in the southeast receiving extreme amounts of rainfall, and over 6 inches of precipitation in New Bedford (Bristol County) causing street flooding. Parts of Plymouth County received in excess of 4 inches of rain while some parts of Cape Cod had rain in excess of 2.75 inches.
