Yale Expert To Address Threat of Deadly West Nile Virus At Tuesday Senate Hearing Hosted by Senator Lieberman

Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) will convene a Senate hearing at Fairfield University to address the public health threat posed by the West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses.

Durland Fish, a Yale expert on insect-borne diseases, will be a featured speaker at the hearing, which will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, December 14 at the Fairfield University School of Business, Fairfield, Conn.

Lieberman said he called for the hearing to bring experts together to share information and work toward finding a solution to the problem, which might erupt again in early spring.

In the two-hour hearing, Fish will explain how insects transmit the virus and will discuss research that has the potential to prevent future outbreaks.

“Epidemics of insect-borne disease are preventable,” Fish said. “We eliminated the threat of the epidemics from malaria, yellow fever and bubonic plague in this country years ago, but we have left our guard down against the threat of new diseases, such as West Nile virus.”

The hearing will also cover the current status of mosquito control in Connecticut and the environmental impact of mosquito-control measures, such as insecticide sprays.

Other panelists include Ted Andreadis of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Bob McLean of the National Wildlife Health Center, and Jane Stahl of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.

For more information and directions, please contact Christy Johnson at 202-224-7203, or visit Senator Lieberman’s web page at http://lieberman.senate.gov.