Mosquitoes trapped in West Haven on June 29 tested positive for West Nile virus, the state Mosquito Management Program announced Tuesday.

These results represent the first West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes identified by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station this year. Connecticut residents are reminded to protect themselves from mosquito bites and mosquito-borne diseases.

“The West Nile virus season has begun,” Philip Armstrong, medical entomologist at the experiment station, said in a news release. Late June to mid-July "is when we typically first detect WNV infection in mosquitoes and we anticipate further build-up of the virus from now through September," he said.

Theodore Andreadis, director of the experiment station, said the finding is a reminder to residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites.

"We encourage everyone to take simple measures such as wearing mosquito repellent and covering bare skin, especially during dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active," he said.

To reduce the risk of being bitten, residents should:

• minimize time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.

• be sure door and window screens are tight-fitting and in good repair.

• wear shoes, socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time, or when mosquitoes are more active. Clothing should be light colored and made of tightly woven materials that keep mosquitoes away from skin.

• use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in an unscreened structure and to protect small babies when outdoors.

West Nile virus has been detected in the state every year since 1999. During 2016, the experiment station trapped and tested over 170,000 mosquitoes and identified WNV-positive mosquitoes collected at trap sites in 20 towns in four counties — Fairfield, Hartford, New Haven and New London — collected July 6 to September 28. In addition, one Connecticut resident was diagnosed and hospitalized with encephalitis due to West Nile virus infection. Since 2000, there have been 131 human cases of WNV diagnosed in Connecticut residents, including three fatalities.

The Connecticut Mosquito Management Program is a collaborative effort of the state departments of Energy and Environmental Protection, public health and agriculture, the experiment station and the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Connecticut. These agencies are responsible for monitoring mosquito populations and the potential public health threat of mosquito-borne diseases. For more information, visit www.ct.gov/mosquito.