Pittsfield Hasn't Seen West Nile Mosquitoes in Weeks
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There hasn't been a positive West Nile virus mosquito sample in the city in weeks, and amplification isn't expected.
Berkshire County had early virus activity; Clarksburg saw the state's first WNV mosquitoes of the season in June. Pittsfield had a positive WNV sample later that month in a spot with repeated occurrences near the Pittsfield Cemetery.
On Wednesday, the Board of Health heard an update from Chris Horton, superintendent of the Berkshire County Mosquito Control Project.
"We've been three weeks now without a West Nile positive, so that's the good news. It didn't take hold. I mean, the repeat or multiple isolations, that's when we start to worry," he reported.
"It looks like it's going to be a sporadic year for Western Mass. There are a handful of isolations, but they're all in different spots, and they're not recurring in the same spots. We've got four in the county so far, but they're spaced out, and they're geographically spaced also."
He said there are a lot of Culex mosquitoes this year, a West Nile vector. The project has submitted 134 pools from Pittsfield, and is tarketing mosquito-dense spots with extra larval control.
Pittsfield saw a positive on June 30 at the Pittsfield Cemetery near the end of King Street. Horton said that is the only isolation so far.
He doesn't envision the WNV positives amplifying, and the peak transmission weeks are at the end of August and early September.
"At this stage, we've sent a lot of mosquitoes, and I think we have good spots to watch, and we aren't seeing it so far," he added.
The city's catch basins, a source for Culex, were treated with 90-day products.
Horton reported that it will not be an eastern equine encephalitis year, as the numbers for all vectors are super low.
Areas that tend to be dense with mosquitoes include the rear of Clapp Park and the rear of Elm Street near Brattlebrook Park.
According to a risk map provided by the Department of Public Health, Berkshire County remains at low risk for WNV and eastern equine encephalitis.
Tags: EEE, mosquito, West Nile,
