Health officials say the best way to prevent infection is to wear clothing that covers arms, legs, and feet, apply insect repellent while outdoors, reschedule activities from dusk or dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
Residents are also encouraged to practice source reduction of standing water pools where mosquitoes might breed:
• Drain buckets, barrels, tarps, and wheel barrows to avoid water accumulation
• Change the water twice each week in birdbaths and outdoor pet water dishes
• Keep rain gutters clean of debris
• Check children's outdoor toys for water accumulation
Dukes County Manager
The island Boards of Health asked the County to coordinate an island - wide effort to test mosquitoes for West Nile and EEE.
Dukes County was able to re-instate a recognition of the County of Dukes County/Martha's Vineyard Mosquito Control District by the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board, which allows the County to contract directly with the Massachusetts State Laboratory for testing of mosquitoes.
Dukes County prepared a plan to test mosquitoes for 10 weeks during the summer and hired a surveillance technician to carry out the project.
Mosquitoes are collected in each of the island towns once per week and sent for testing. The County and each of the Board of Health agents is receiving weekly reports from the State's Lab.