Enacts the New York mosquito surveillance act

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Jake Ashby says this is needed

Mosquitoes are a common nuisance in New York State that carry and trans- mit harmful diseases to both humans and livestock. Mosquito-borne diseases that are consistently present in New York state include West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). EEE is a rare disease, but it is fatal in -33% of cases and results in long-term, detrimental neurologic effects in over half of survivors, including the development of personality diSorders, seizures, or paralysis. Children under 15 and adults over 50 are most at risk of developing severe disease. Warmer and longer summers in New York state combined with milder winters and altered rainfall patterns have contributed to longer transmission seasons of these diseases. Between 1999 and 2024 the transmission season of West Nile virus in New York state increased by approximately 25 days, meaning there are 25 more days in the year when a person could be bitten by an infected mosquito. Changing environmental conditions in New York state have also allowed the invasive Asian tiger mosquito to expand its range into southern New York state. This species can transmit tropical diseases such as chikungunya, zika, and dengue viruses, which each can cause detrimental health outcomes. As the Asian tiger mosquito expands northwards into New York state and transmission seasons of mosquito-borne diseases become longer, it is likely more New Yorkers will become sick with mosquito-borne diseases. Capturing mosquitoes and testing them for the viruses they carry is a common and effective practice that can alert local and state health departments of a potential outbreak before it happens. Using monitoring data, health departments can predict when and where a virus could be transmitted to humans and livestock and take preventative action to control mosquito populations before transmission can occur. Currently, mosquito monitoring is sparse and disintegrated in New York state. Some county health departments have developed their own monitor- ing plans, and each have their own set of methods. Very often monitoring does not extend through the duration of the transmission season. To understand the evolving structure of mosquito-borne diseases in New York state, all counties need to monitor for mosquitoes using standardized monitoring protocols that reflect the entire transmission season. A recent example of initiating mosquito surveillance occurred in St Lawrence county after 6 horses died from EEE in 2024. At that point, the county didn't have any mosquito surveillance and they were unsure how to move forward. There was no uniform state program, and the county had limited resources. After much consideration, they teamed up with scien- tists from SUNY Potsdam, Clarkson University and SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry to initiate their first mosquito surveillance program.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.