For the first time this season, Eastern Equine Encephalitis has been detected in mosquitoes in Connecticut.
According to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) in New Haven, four mosquitoes trapped in Canterbury tested positive for EEE on July 16. The mosquitoes were caught at a location along Quinnebug Camp Road.
Humans can become infected with EEE through the bite of an infected mosquito. Although human infections are rare, they can be very serious: approximately 40% of infected people die from complications of the virus.
Symptoms include fever with chills, body aches, joint pains, and in more severe cases, meningitis and encephalitis (brain infection) can develop.
To reduce the risk of mosquito bites, CAES says residents should:
- Minimize time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
- If you must be outdoors, consider using a mosquito repellent that contains an EPA-registered active ingredient such as DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, paramethandiol (PMD), or 2-undecanone.
- Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts when you are outdoors for long periods of time or when mosquitoes are active. Clothing should be light-colored, loose-fitting, and made of tightly woven materials that prevent mosquitoes from touching your skin.
- Make sure doors and window screens are tightly closed and in good condition.
- Use mosquito nets when sleeping outdoors or in buildings without screens, and protect infants when outdoors.
