Portsmouth sprayed for mosquitoes

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. ( WPRI) -- Crews sprayed for mosquitoes in the northern area of Portsmouth Thursday evening.

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Residents in Island Park have complained the mosquitoes have been very bad, and many wish the spraying would have been done sooner..

Others, like Chris Museler, did not want the insecticide sprayed in his Common Fence Point neighborhood.

"I'm concerned about this product getting remotely close to my children or my pets or me," Museler said, "The Department of Public Health has said this isn't a public health issue, public health risk with these particular mosquitoes. It doesn't even reach the level of a public nuisance, so I think this is a little extreme."

Museler and some of his neighbors tried to obtain a court injunction to stop the spraying, but their efforts failed.

Mosquitoes trapped in Rhode Island this summer have tested positive for both West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis ( EEE), however there have been no human cases reported.