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FAIRFIELD, Conn. The Fairfield Health Department warned residents Wednesday about West Nile-infected mosquitoes found in the area. Fairfield is now one of 15 Connecticut municipalities that have caught mosquitoes infected with the West Nile Virus this summer. No cases of humans infected with the virus have been reported this year, but Health Director Sands Cleary said Fairfielders should be careful.
We want to encourage residents to reduce their risk of mosquito-borne illness by taking the appropriate precautions, Cleary said in a release posted to the towns website.
Cleary suggests wearing long sleeves and long pants if your are outside around dawn or dusk, when mosquitoes are most active. Insect repellent is also a good idea. To prevent the pests from breeding, Cleary urged residents to eliminate pools of standing water whenever possible, such as in birdbaths, roof gutters, puddles or unused pools.
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment station runs mosquito traps in 71 towns and cities across the state. West Nile-infected mosquitoes have also been found in Bridgeport, Danbury, Darien, Easton, Greenwich, Hamden, Litchfield, New Britain, New Canaan, Orange, Stamford, Stratford, Westport and Woodbridge in 2011. In 2010, the center found infected mosquitoes in 24 towns, and 11 cases of infected humans.
Are you worried about West Nile Virus? Share your own tips for avoiding mosquitoes in the comments below.
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