The Metropolitan Mosquito Management District (MMCD) has discovered its first mosquitoes to check optimistic for West Nile virus this 12 months in samples collected June 17-18 in Oak Grove in northern Anoka County.
“This can be a bit sooner than regular,” stated Alex Carlson, an MMCD spokesman, including that the primary optimistic samples should not often discovered till the primary week of July.
No instances of the mosquito-borne sickness, which may trigger fever, headache, physique aches, vomiting or rash, have been reported within the state as of July 1, stated Andrea Ahneman, of the Minnesota Division of Well being
The Culex species of mosquitoes are the native carriers of West Nile virus. Three varieties are most typical in Minnesota, the pipiens, restuans and tarsalis, Carlson stated. Whereas the pipiens and restuans are most ample of the three, they do not chunk people as typically because the tarsalis, Carlson stated.
The tarsalis was present in solely 51 swimming pools all of final 12 months, when it was a lot drier than in 2024. Final week, MMCD discovered tarsalis in 22 swimming pools throughout sampling, stated MMCD vector ecologist Kirk Johnson.
“That is only the start of the season for tarsalis and with the quantity of standing water we now have, count on their numbers to develop significantly over the following couple of generations,” he stated.
West Nile virus danger tends to extend throughout July, August and September as a result of the Culex species is extra energetic in late summer season and has had extra time to select up the illness from an contaminated fowl and unfold it to people, Carlson stated.