Mosquito season hit the Garden State earlier than usual this year.
West Nile virus has already turned up in mosquitoes across 12 counties, according to a statement put out by the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), and Department of Agriculture (NJDA).
It’s still the most commonly reported mosquito-borne disease in the state—New Jersey sees about 22 human cases a year on average. Most people who get infected never notice. Others get hit with a mild flu-like illness: fever, headache, body aches, maybe a rash.
Fewer will develop more serious illness. The virus can attack the central nervous system, causing high fever, neck stiffness, disorientation, and even paralysis. Age and existing health conditions raise that risk.
“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 Dr. Raynard E. Washington, New Jersey Health Commissioner.
Health officials are urging New Jerseyans to take basic precaution this summer, including:
- Using EPA-registered insect repellant when necessary
- Staying inside during peak mosquito hours
- Wearing long sleeves and pants when outdoors during peak mosquito hours
- Change out standing water weekly from flowerpots, birdbaths, buckets, etc.
- Keep gutters clean
- Keep pools and decorative ponds circulating
- Elevate trash and recycling bins—drill drainage holes to prevent buildup
Officials aren’t just watching West Nile virus—Eastern equine encephalitis and Jamestown Canyon virus spread the same way, through the same mosquitoes. Summer travel raises the stakes, too. Anyone coming back from a region where dengue or malaria circulate should guard against mosquito bites for at least three weeks—long enough to keep those illnesses from taking root in local mosquito populations.
“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,” said NJDEP Acting Commissioner Ed Potosnak.
It’s nothing new for summers in Jersey. Be prepared, and know what to look for. Still seeing mosquitoes after all that? Call the county mosquito control agency—they handle the harder cases.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.