Climate change is a cause for more mosquitos carrying viruses like EEE, according to a UAlbany professor. (Spectrum News 1). Climate change is a cause for more mosquitos carrying viruses like EEE, according to a UAlbany professor. (Spectrum News 1). The first human death in New York state from eastern equine encephalitis since 2015 is renewing the push to protect residents from mosquitoes. State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald declared EEE an imminent threat to public health for the EEE virus, opening up state resources for local agencies attempting to stop mosquitoes from spreading it. It is something counties around the state are monitoring. Scientists say climate change is affecting the patterns of mosquitoes, like the ones carrying the virus. New Yorkers may have noticed more mosquitoes this summer. University at Albany professor Oliver Timm said this is a result of climate change. As temperature trends increase, so do conditions for mosquito populations to grow. “Everything speeds up a little bit,” Timm said. “So the production of mosquitoes, the life cycle goes up, the activity goes up of mosquitoes and that leads to the consequences that they bite more often infected birds.” What You Need To Know The eastern equine encephalitis virus, or EEE, has been found in horses around New York and killed a person in New York state for the first time since 2015 Experts say climate change is causing mosquito populations to grow and have longer lifespans Warmer temperatures are also bringing the virus from areas that are typically more tropical With this growing population of blood-sucking insects comes an increased likelihood that more of them carry disease, like the mosquitoes carrying eastern equine encephalitis. The disease has killed horses in the state and for the first time in New York since 2015, has claimed the […]
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