Do all mosquitoes bite people? Do all mosquitoes carry EEE or WNV?
A. Absolutely not to both questions. Of the more than 50 species of mosquitoes in Massachusetts, most do not usually bite humans or transmit disease to people. EEE is very rare because the great majority of mosquitoes do not carry the virus, and of those that sometimes do carry EEE, most are a species (Culiseta melanura) that bites birds almost exclusively. Exactly which species transmits EEE to humans by biting an infected bird and then a person is unknown, but the Department of Public Health monitors populations of the three species of mosquitoes that are suspected EEE transmitters. WNV is somewhat more easily transmitted to people, but it causes serious illness in a much smaller percentage of the total cases. A mosquito called Culex pipiens that commonly breeds in small areas of stagnant water such as catch basins, gutters, discarded tires, etc. is believed to be a primary transmitter of WNV but other mosquito species may also transmit this disease. Since it is fairly new to this co
