As Connecticut moves into the height of mosquito season, scientists may have a harder time tracking the potentially serious diseases the insects can carry.
That's because the state could lose a federal grant for the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program, according to the Waterbury Republican-American.
The program, which traps and tests mosquitoes from June 1 through the end of October, operates on two grants. A federal grant of $135,000 and a $219,000 state grant provide money to run the lab, perform testing and pay scientists and technicians. A loss of the federal funds could mean cuts to staffing and testing sites.
"We would be flying blind," State Entomologist Theodore Andreadis told the paper.
Right now, mosquitoes are collected in 91 traps in 72 towns and cities across the state. 200,000 mosquitoes are collected each year and tested for diseases such as West Nile Virus and the more serious Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
The budget before Congress includes $26.7 million cut in federal funding for the prevention and control of diseases carried by animals and insects. That includes the $135,000 in funds for Connecticut's mosquito program. It's not clear if Congress will keep the cuts in the budget, or make changes before passing the measure.
