Epi Week #29 - 2014 General Statements

The first EEE-positive mosquito pools of the 2014 season were detected this week, from a sample of Coquillettidia perturbans collected in Bridgewater (Plymouth County) on July 15. This was an interesting find, in that the pools all came from a single trap, and also that the mosquito species in question, Cq. perturbans, is a mammal biter, whereas EEE is typically found first in the bird-biting Culiseta melanura. Further testing by Plymouth County, neighboring Bristol County, and DPH will be done at end of Epi Week 29 and the start of Epi Week 30 in an effort to better assess current arbovirus levels. In response to these finds, Plymouth and Bristol County have planned ULV spraying of adulticide in Bridgewater and adjacent towns. There were also WNV-positive mosquito pools in Canton (Norfolk County) and Newburyport (Essex County).

Weather

Epi Week 29 started extremely warm and muggy but ended on a cooler than normal note. Despite these extremes, temperatures actually averaged near normal for the week. A strong but slow-moving cold front pushed through the region 7/15- 7/16, resulting in localized flash flooding. Bristol County and the western half of the state both had areas experiencing rain in excess of 2.5 inches.