New Canaan likely would work with neighboring communities under the Connecticut Department of Public Health’s guidelines if the Zika virus ever turns up in mosquitoes in the region, town officials said.
No locally acquired cases have been reported to the DPH since the agency launched a surveillance program in February, according to the state.
And “at this point in time, there has not been a mosquito that lives and breathes in Connecticut that can transmit the Zika virus or contain the Zika virus,” according to John Howe, parks superintendent with the New Canaan Department of Public Works.
“They [the Zika-carrying mosquitoes] are getting closer and there have to be some changes in the lifecycle for that to happen,” Howe told members of the Board of Selectmen at their regular meeting, held June 14 at Town Hall.
The comments—prompted by an inquiry by Selectman Nick Williams—came as the selectmen approved a $9,960 contract with Branford-based All Habitat Services LLC to apply an insecticide called ‘Spheratax’ to storm drains as part of New Canaan’s regular, annual mosquito management program.
Asked by Selectman Beth Jones whether New Canaan would need to increase its vigilance if Zika-carrying mosquitoes were found here, Howe said: “We might have to. Right now we are doing the best we can without starting an aerial spray. By treating the catch basins, that is the best thing we can do for mosquitoes for West Nile.”
In 2015, 10 residents of Connecticut contracted West Nile virus, all but two in Fairfield County (none of the 10 resulted in a fatalities). Those infected included one in Fairfield and six in Bridgeport.
Though West Nile remains a far more immediate threat in the town and state now, Zika has made national headlines, partly because it can cause a serious birth defect called ‘microcephaly’ and other severe fetal brain defects if contracted during pregnancy (it also can be transmitted sexually), according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Earlier this month, after it was announced that a baby in New Jersey was born with microcephaly and other defects due to her mother’s exposure to Zika, Dr. Raul Pino, the commissioner of the Connecticut DPH, issued a statement urging pregnant women and those planning to become pregnant soon to “postpone travel to Zika-affected areas.”
“If travel absolutely cannot be avoided, extreme care must be taken to avoid mosquito bites: wear and consistently re-apply mosquito repellant, wear long sleeves and pants, sleep in air conditioning or in a dwelling with door and window screens,” Pino said. “Due to the risk of sexual transmission, it is equally important that your male partner avoid mosquito bites, and if exposed, practice consistent abstinence or condom use for the duration of your pregnancy. While there is much about Zika that we are still learning, we do know that the potential risks for unborn babies are too high to not take Zika virus seriously.”
As of June 14, the travel history of patients who have tested positive for Zika included visits to Colombia, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras and Puerto Rico, according to the state.
First Selectman Rob Mallozzi said at the meeting that he’s in regular contact with New Canaan’s health director and elected officials from other towns.
“Let’s just put it this way: If the threat does materialize in the next year or two, I think we will certainly accept guidance and I don’t think there will be any [hesitation] on the part of the town to support as safe and proactive an approach as we can. But right now, none of the towns around us are doing anything different than we are.”