Mosquito trap company surprised by demand amid Zika outbreak

The German manufacturer of traps widely used to monitor mosquitoes that carry Zika says the "enormous demand" due to the virus outbreak caught the company off-guard.

Two Biogents board members said in emails Friday to The Associated Press that a shipment is coming to the U.S.

The company's only U.S. distributor has said a backlog affects 1,950 orders from governments and businesses in Florida, Ohio, Kentucky and a few other states.

Andreas Rose of Biogents says the traps "sold out quicker than expected." Martin Geier says the small company typically fills a few thousand orders annually, but started scaling up production in March.

The BG-Sentinel traps are used to monitor urban mosquitoes that carry Zika and dengue. Florida still hasn't received over half the traps ordered to improve surveillance statewide.