New Jersey officials urge residents to protect against mosquito-borne diseases this summer
NEW JERSEY — New Jersey health, environmental and agriculture officials are urging residents to take precautions against mosquitoes as activity increases statewide and mosquito-borne diseases remain a seasonal concern.
The New Jersey departments of Health, Environmental Protection and Agriculture on Wednesday reminded residents that preventing mosquito bites and eliminating standing water are the most effective ways to reduce the risk of illnesses such as West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalitis and Jamestown Canyon virus.
“Protecting public health is a shared responsibility. The best defense against diseases transmitted by mosquitoes is to avoid being bitten in the first place and reducing breeding grounds,” said New Jersey Health Commissioner Dr. Raynard E. Washington.
Officials recommend using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellents, wearing long sleeves and pants outdoors, and spending time in air-conditioned or screened areas, particularly during peak mosquito activity.
Residents are also encouraged to eliminate standing water by regularly emptying containers such as flowerpots, birdbaths, buckets and pet dishes, cleaning gutters, maintaining swimming pools and ensuring outdoor trash and recycling containers drain properly.
If mosquito problems persist after those steps, officials advise contacting the county mosquito control agency for assistance.
“It’s critical that everyone does their part to control nuisance mosquito populations by taking steps to prevent the pooling of water around their properties that can provide places for mosquitoes to breed,” said Acting Environmental Protection Commissioner Ed Potosnak. “These steps can go a long way toward reducing localized populations of mosquitoes and will help support the work of county mosquito control agencies and the state’s Mosquito Control Commission to protect the public from mosquito-borne diseases.”
West Nile virus remains the most commonly reported mosquito-borne disease in New Jersey. State officials said mosquito samples testing positive for the virus have already been identified in 12 counties this year. On average, New Jersey reports about 22 human cases of West Nile virus annually.
Most people infected with mosquito-borne viruses experience no symptoms or only mild flu-like illness, including fever, headache, body aches, vomiting or diarrhea. However, some infections can lead to severe neurological illness requiring hospitalization, particularly among older adults, people with certain chronic medical conditions and those with weakened immune systems.
Officials also warned that international summer travel to areas where dengue fever and malaria are common can increase the risk of those diseases being introduced into local mosquito populations. Travelers are encouraged to review health advisories before departure and continue preventing mosquito bites for at least three weeks after returning to New Jersey.
The departments also reminded farmers and horse owners that mosquitoes can transmit diseases to livestock.
“Mosquitos are one of those cross species vectors as they seek warm blooded animals including people,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wengryn. “To prevent infections in their animals, farmers must work to remove standing water on their farms and refresh water supplies for livestock to prevent it from becoming mosquito habitat.”
The New Jersey State Mosquito Control Commission, established in 1956, works with all 21 county mosquito control agencies, Rutgers University’s New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and state agencies to monitor mosquito populations and help protect residents from mosquito-borne diseases.
