First mosquito tests positive for West Nile virus in Connecticut this year
Connecticut officials announced on Tuesday that a mosquito from Milford has tested positive for West Nile virus, becoming the first positive case in the state this year.
The mosquito was trapped in Fresh Meadow Lane on June 29.
A total of 230 mosquitos from 37 towns in Connecticut tested positive for West Nile virus last year. The virus is detected in the Northeast every summer and has become the leading mosquito-borne disease in the region. Six Connecticut residents were hospitalized with the virus in 2025, according to state officials.
“The recent rainfall, high humidity, and warm temperatures are expected to increase mosquito activity and virus build-up in the weeks ahead,” said John Shepard, a medical entomologist at the the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. “We will continue to closely monitor mosquitoes for virus infection from now through October.”
CAES officals say that approximately 80% of individuals infected with the virus are asymptomatic. The remaining 20% present mild symptoms including fever, headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea or rash.
Fewer than 1% of infected individuals develop severe neuroinvasive disease, according to CAES.
CAES reminds residents to protect themselves against this virus and other mosquito-borne diseases by using mosquito repellents, wearing long pants and long sleeve if outside for extended periods of time and ensuring door and window screens are tight-fitting.
From breaking news and local politics to art exhibitions, live music, high school sports, small businesses, and cultural events, we celebrate the people and places that make Connecticut unique.