New Jersey Health Department Urges Steps to Protect Against Mosquito-borne Diseases

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), and New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) are reminding the public of the importance of controlling mosquito populations and risk for disease from bites by eliminating standing water that can become breeding grounds for the insect.

Frequent and recent wet weather across the state has produced an abundance of larval pools for some mosquito species, resulting in an increase in local nuisance mosquito complaints to county mosquito control agencies. As peak mosquito season gets underway, the public’s assistance in taking common-sense steps to reduce mosquito populations will help protect public health and bolster the work of the New Jersey State Mosquito Control Commission.

New Jersey’s mosquito control agencies use a variety of methods to combat mosquitoes, including public awareness campaigns, targeted larval habitat source-reduction programs, use of natural predators such as mosquito-eating fish, and judicious application of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency- and DEP-approved insecticides by ground and aerial means.

Removing larval pools and eliminating mosquito breeding grounds is important to help reduce the risk of bites from mosquitoes, which can spread vector-borne illnesses such as West Nile Virus (WNV), Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), and Jamestown Canyon Virus (JCV).

Mosquito-borne Disease Threats Explained

West Nile virus is the leading mosquito-borne disease in New Jersey. In 2024, 41 residents were reported to have WNV, including eight fatalities. Eastern Equine Encephalitis is less common than WNV but is the most severe mosquito-borne disease transmitted in New Jersey. Last year, two residents were reported with EEE. Jamestown Canyon Virus is found throughout much of the country, but most cases are largely reported from the upper Midwest, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Most people who are infected with WNV or EEE have no symptoms or will experience mild illness, which can appear flu-like with fever, headache, body aches, vomiting or diarrhea, and sometimes a rash. While rare, some people will develop severe neurological illness, including meningitis or encephalitis. Severe symptoms include high fever, stiff neck, mental confusion or disorientation, seizures, and paralysis. Common symptoms of JCV are fever, headache and fatigue, but the virus can also cause severe disease such as encephalitis, or brain inflammation. There are no specific vaccines or medications to prevent or treat JCV.

There also are no specific treatments or vaccines for WNV or EEE. People 55 years and older are at greatest risk of severe illness. Early symptoms may be confused with COVID-19 or several other common viral illnesses, and blood tests are needed to confirm a diagnosis.

Prevention Tips

The best way to prevent illness is to take steps to avoid mosquito bites. The public is asked to follow these tips to eliminate standing water and protect themselves from the bites of mosquitoes as much as possible:

Use EPA-registered insect repellents when outdoors and wear protective clothing.
Empty water from flowerpots, pet food and water dishes, birdbaths, swimming pool covers, buckets, barrels and trash cans at least once or twice a week.
Clear clogged rain gutters.
Check for and remove any containers or trash that may be difficult to see, such as under bushes and homes or around building exteriors.
Dispose of unused tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or similar water-holding containers that have accumulated at your property.
Drill holes in the bottom and elevate recycling containers left outdoors.
Repair and clean storm-damaged roof gutters, especially if leaves from surrounding trees tend to clog drains. Roof gutters can produce millions of mosquitoes each season.
Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use.
Avoid allowing water to stagnate in bird baths.
Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish. Water gardens become major mosquito producers if they stagnate.
Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, including those not in use. An untended swimming pool can produce enough mosquitoes to result in neighborhood-wide complaints. Also, be aware that mosquitoes may develop in the water that collects on pool covers.
Stay in air-conditioned places or rooms with window screens that prevent access by mosquitoes.
If a mosquito problem remains after taking the above steps, call your county mosquito control agency and ask for assistance. There are larval habitats that may only be appropriately addressed by local mosquito control programs.