WebHeader_Grove.png
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Join as a sustainer and support independent local news for your community.
0000017a-15d9-d736-a57f-17ff91870001

First Mosquitoes With West Nile Virus Found In N.H. This Season

EarthTalkGEMosquitoes.jpg
USDA
/

The state has found mosquitoes with West Nile Virus for the first time this season.

The Department of Health and Human Services says the positive test came from a batch of mosquitoes in Manchester.

The last time a New Hampshire resident caught West Nile from a mosquito was in 2017. But the state has found the virus in mosquitoes every year for the past decade. It’s more prevalent during drought years, like this one.

West Nile causes flu-like symptoms within about a week of a bite by an infected mosquito. In rare cases, it can be life-threatening. To prevent infection, residents are reminded to wear bug spray, avoid outdoor activity at dusk and dawn, and remove standing water from their properties.

Mosquito-borne illnesses can spread into fall, until the first hard frost.

Annie has covered the environment, energy, climate change and the Seacoast region for NHPR since 2017. She leads the newsroom's climate reporting project, By Degrees.

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.