Mosquito Abatement Coordination
This site will be undergoing major renovations within the coming weeks. There may be times when it is down for short periods of time. We apoligize for any inconvience this may cause.
The Office of Mosquito Abatement Coordination (MAC) is within the Department of Environmental Management's (DEM)Division of Agriculture. The office coordinator is Al Gettman, an Adjunct Professor within the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Rhode Island. The MAC Office performs various functions such as, matching grants to aid Rhode Island towns conducting mosquito control operations. Our office is also involved in salt marsh restoration projects with the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program. One of our major duties is conducting a yearly surveillance for the early detection of Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEE) and West Nile Virus (WNV). For this surveillance, light traps are set statewide each week from June through October. Mosquitoes are collected and tested for the presence of EEE and WNV.
EEE is a very rare but serious illness. It is a viral disease contracted through the bite of an infected mosquito. In most years, the virus is limited to native bird populations and bird-biting mosquitoes, but occasionally the virus can be transmitted to humans and domestic animals. EEE virus affects the brain with symptoms that appear 5 to 15 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Symptoms may include high fever, headache, stiff neck and decreased consciousness. The disease is often fatal in 30-50% of cases. Individuals with symptoms suggestive of EEE should contact their physician immediately.
WNV is also a mosquito-transmitted, viral disease that causes encephalitis. However, mortality rates are much lower than those of EEE. It made its first appearance in the Western hemisphere, in the New York City area in 1999. During the summer of 2000, WNV spread to 12 eastern states, causing 18 human cases and 1 death. In Rhode Island, health officials reported no human cases. One horse and 88 birds died from WNV in RI during 2000. No mosquitoes tested positive for WNV.
In 2001 WNV spread to 27 states causing 66 human cases (9 deaths). It was detected in 245 birds from 31 RI communities, and there were 14 confirmed or suspect WNV-positive mosquito samples in RI in 2001 and no reported human cases.