BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - Vermont state officials say that the Asian tiger mosquito which can spread the Zika and dengue viruses has been found in Vermont.

The state said Thursday that the mosquitoes identified do not currently carry these diseases.

Natalie Kwit, public health veterinarian with the Vermont Department of Health, says it’s unlikely this normally tropical/subtropical mosquito will be spreading new diseases in Vermont anytime soon because the climate is inhospitable for the mosquito species most of the year.

The mosquitoes were hatched from eggs collected in Windham County as part of a surveillance program. Patti Casey, the environmental surveillance program director of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture says it’s too soon to know if the mosquito’s presence is an anomaly or if the species will be part of the state’s ecosystem.

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