Specimens are collected from a line of 25 resting boxes at each study location. The resting box is the collection method of choice because it collects a broad spectrum of stages in the gonotrophic cycle. We believe that this broad cross section of stages in the gonotrophic cycle increases our chances of locating infected mosquitoes in nature. We also believe that the light trap is much less efficient in detecting the infected portion of the mosquito population since it only attracts unengorged mosquitoes in numbers. The New Jersey State Department of Health performs the virus isolation attempts at their laboratories and notifies the Vector Surveillance Program of the results.
All information is entered into a data base for rapid collation, analysis, and graphics.
The computerized program allows us to compute this information as soon as the results of virus isolation attempts are known and gives us an immediate picture of EEE amplification over a broad geographic area. Equine Cases are the Indicator for Accelerated Control of Coquillettidia perturbans at Inland Areas of the State. The New Jersey State Department of Agriculture requires veterinarians to report all suspect horse cases as soon as possible. They also require the veterinarians to submit a series of blood samples taken during the clinical course of infection and the brain of euthanized animals whenever possible. The results are made available to the New Jersey Vector Surveillance Program as soon as possible.