The State Mosquito Management Program announced today that mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile virus have been identified in 12 towns thus far this season.

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station trapped the positive mosquitoes in Bridgeport, East Haven, Fairfield, Glastonbury, Greenwich, Manchester, New Haven, Norwalk, Plainfield, Stamford, Stratford, and Westport.

“As expected, we continue to find mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus in more locations in lower Fairfield County and in other areas of Connecticut,” Theodore Andreadis, chief medical entomologist at the experiment station, said in a news release. “Over the rest of the summer and into early fall, we expect to see further build-up of West Nile virus with increased risk for human infection throughout the state, especially in densely populated communities where the virus is found.”

Randall Nelson, state public health veterinarian with the Department of Public Health, noted that August and September are the months when risk of West Nile virus infection is highest. He urged the public to take steps to prevent mosquito bites.

Eastern equine encephalitis was also identified in two pools of mosquitoes trapped in Patchaug State Forest in Voluntown on July 10 and 17.