Epi Week #41 - 2014 General Statements

In our second to last surveillance week of the 2014 season, arbovirus activity remained low, as did surveillance activity. There were 17 pools submitted (from Central Middlesex Mosquito Control Project and the DPH State Lab), covering 5 counties (Bristol, Middlesex, Plymouth, Suffolk and Worcester). While mosquitoes are still active and could be arbovirus-positive, cool evening temperatures have made it unfeasible to perform any pesticide applications.

Weather

For Epi Week 41, temperatures were close to average for this time of year, except for mid-week where they rose into the high 60s and even low 70s in some eastern parts of the state. Some areas of the western part of the state received frost right before this temperature jump. Precipitation was minimal for all but the western part of the state, where parts of Berkshire, Franklin and Hampshire County received close to 2 inches of rain.

Epi Week 42 is predicted to bring late summer weather, with highs above 70’F through Saturday and unseasonably warm lows in the 60s. Rain is expected mid-late week courtesy of a powerful cold front passing through. The first hurricane of the Atlantic storm season, Gonzalo, is powerful but not expected to impact the Northeast (thanks to that cold front keeping it away).