Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) detected in mosquito in eastern Connecticut
It’s the first positive mosquito sample in southern New England this year, highlighting the need to protect yourself from mosquito-borne illnesses.
By: Tim Studebaker
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) – The Connecticut Department of Health has announced a mosquito in Voluntown, just over the Rhode Island state border, has tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). It’s the first positive mosquito sample in southern New England this year, and the Rhode Island DEM wants to make sure you know how to protect yourself.
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Spokesperson Michael Healey says, “It’s difficult because we’re still so on edge with COVID… So we’re mindful of that, but at the same time, our job as a public agency is to protect public health.”
The virus is passed from infected birds to humans through mosquito bites. This time of year, it’s had a better chance to spread to more birds and more mosquitoes.
Healey says, “So even though there’s fewer mosquitoes out there right now than there were two months ago, a higher percentage of those mosquitoes is carrying some kind of disease.”
There are no approved vaccines or treatments, but Dr. James McDonald with the Department of Health also points out that while potentially serious, mosquito-borne illnesses are also rare.
McDonald says, “For West Nile Virus, for example, only 1 in 5 people will even notice symptoms like a headache or swollen lymph nodes or fever. But maybe 1 in 150 might end up in the hospital with a more serious infection in and around their brain. And you see similar findings for Eastern Equine Encephalitis too.”
Until the first hard frost kills off the mosquito population, prevention is key. Experts suggest using insect repellent, wearing long sleeve shirts and long pants, avoiding peak mosquito times near dawn and dusk, and dumping out any standing water on your property where mosquitoes can breed.
© WLNE-TV / ABC6 2021
