Sen. Chuck Schumer D-NY is advocating for a two-part strategy to combat mosquitoes that carry the deadly Eastern Equine Encephalitis EEE virus.
Speaking outside a lab that researches mosquito-borne diseases at Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, Schumer urged the federal government to take the lead in coordinating state and local efforts to monitor disease-carrying insects.
I’m calling on the CDC Centers for Disease Control and the EPA Environmental Protection Agency to step up and help New York and local officials with their coordination efforts, Schumer said.
He emphasized that the CDC and EPA have a unique role in facilitating cross-state efforts.
The EPA conducts research on how mosquitoes and diseases spread, Schumer explained. They can also provide supplies like mosquito traps to local governments in central New York, and they have flexibility to support in various ways.
Schumer is also pushing for an additional $65 million in funding for the CDC’s Vector-Borne Disease program to support research and assist local communities in tracking mosquito populations.
Dr. Saravanan Thangamani, who is part of Upstate’s mosquito-borne illness research team, welcomed Schumer’s proposal, noting that climate change is exacerbating the issue.
Warmer temperatures speed up mosquito reproduction, making them more effective carriers of West Nile Virus, Thangamani said. Higher temperatures also shorten the virus incubation period in mosquitoes, increasing the likelihood of transmission. Plus, changes in rainfall patterns create more standing water, which is ideal for mosquito breeding.
Schumer’s push follows the first human death from EEE in New York since 2015, along with several other cases reported in Jefferson, Wayne, and Clinton counties.