The Vermont Health Department is reporting the year’s first positive samples of West Nile virus in mosquitoes in the state.
The positive pool of samples was collected in Alburgh and it is the first group to test positive for West Nile virus this year.
The Health Department notes that a pool is a group of up to 50 mosquitoes of the same species and location.
The pools are collected by the Agency of Agriculture and testing is done at the state’s Public Health Laboratory. So far this year, 48,441 mosquitos from 984 pools have been sent to the lab for testing.
There have been no human cases of the virus this year. The tests also monitor for Eastern Equine Encephalitis.