In September 1959, the Jersey Shore would go to war – not with Russia or U-boats, but against mosquitoes. During that summer, newspapers had reported cases in Korea of an insect-borne disease called encephalitis, commonly known as sleeping sickness. In August, one case was confirmed in New Jersey.
On Sept. 14, the Passaic Herald News attempted to educate its readers, saying, “The pesky mosquito – now thriving in humid summer weather – is an ancient tormentor of mankind.
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