Climate Change Brings New Mosquito-Borne Diseases to the Northeast

Connecticut is on high alert this summer as mosquitoes carrying diseases like West Nile virus and dengue fever have already been detected in the state.

The presence of new mosquito species is a clear indication that our climate is changing, and we need to adapt our public health strategies to address this evolving threat.

The state's mosquito monitoring program, which has been tracking species since 1997, has identified 54 different species, including the invasive Asian tiger mosquito. This mosquito, native to hot and humid climates farther south, has been expanding its range northward due to climate change. The program's chief scientist, Philip Armstrong, notes that the presence of new species is a clear indication of the region's changing climate.

The US lacks a national surveillance database to collect and share information from all monitoring programs, making it difficult to track and prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. Dan Markowski of the American Mosquito Control Association emphasizes that a national database is crucial to addressing this evolving problem, but funding remains a significant obstacle. The consequences of inaction could be severe, with diseases like Eastern equine encephalitis, which has a 30 percent fatality rate, posing a significant threat to public health in the Northeast.