A new mosquito from Asia has been found in 35 locations in Connecticut, causing concern that it could spread the potentially deadly West Nile strain of the encephalitis virus. But whether or not it will spread the virus in the wild is not yet known. Turell said there were indications that japonicus feeds on birds, humans, and other mammals but said a real-world feeding study was necessary. Last April, scientists from Connecticut announced a search across the state for japonicus after it was found on Long Island and in New Jersey.
Scientists suspect the mosquito came to the Northeast in shipments of used tires from Asia.
Water collects in tires, providing a good breeding site. Japonicus was found in Connecticut tire dumps last summer. It has since established itself in seven of the state's eight counties, said Theodore Andreadis, chief medical entomologist for the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven. Barbara Reynolds of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said gathering and testing of many mosquito species were ongoing and that only Culex pipiens has shown evidence of West Nile so far. The West Nile strain was detected in New York State last year, the first documented occurrance in the Western Hemisphere.