by Eastern equine encephalitis has been detected in Connecticut mosquitoes for the first time this season.
According to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) in New Haven, four mosquitoes captured in Canterbury on July 16 tested positive for EEE. The mosquitoes were captured at a location on Quinnebaug Camp Road.
Humans can contract EEE through the bite of an infected mosquito. Human cases are rare, but can be very serious. About 40% of infected people die from complications related to the virus.
Symptoms may include fever with chills, body aches and joint pain. In more severe cases, patients may develop meningitis or encephalitis (infection of the brain).
To reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes, CAES recommends that residents:
- Reduce time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
- Consider using mosquito repellents containing an EPA-registered active ingredient, including DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-methanediol (PMD), or 2-undecanone when it is necessary to be outdoors.
- Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt when staying outdoors for long periods of time or when mosquitoes are more active. Clothing should be light-colored and loose-fitting, and made from tightly woven fabrics that repel mosquitoes from the skin.
- Make sure that door and window screens are properly fitted and in good condition.
- Use a mosquito net when sleeping outdoors or in an unprotected structure and to protect infants when they are outdoors.
