A female Culex mosquito collected in Maryland. This species of mosquito has been linked to the transmission of West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalitis. Photo from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Vermont health officials are advising residents in towns at high risk for eastern equine encephalitis to take extra precautions by staying indoors from dusk to dawn and avoiding contact with potentially infected mosquitoes.
The virus, which can cause deadly illness in humans, has been detected in mosquitoes in 11 Vermont towns this year, the Vermont Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture, Food and Markets said Wednesday.
The virus is most prevalent in mosquito populations in Alburgh, Burlington, Colchester and Swanton, which the Department of Health has designated as “high risk.” Officials are strongly advising residents in those towns to stay indoors between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., a recommendation that officials expect to continue “until the first hard mosquito-killing frost.”
According to the release, EEE is rare in humans and most people who become infected with the virus experience mild or no symptoms, but about one-third of those who develop severe EEE disease can be fatal.
Vermont has already seen one active case of EEE this year after a Chittenden County man tested positive for the virus earlier this month. At least two people have been infected with the virus in other New England states, including one in Massachusetts and another in New Hampshire who died this week.
“The data from Vermont and current virus activity around New England indicate that the threat of EEE needs to be taken very seriously,” Health Commissioner Mark Levine said in a statement. “If you live in a high-risk town, to help protect yourself from this potentially serious disease, avoid spending time outdoors at night, when mosquitoes are most active.”
In addition to the towns identified as “high risk,” the Ministry of Health has also designated several “medium risk” towns, including Milton, Vergennes, Sudbury and Whiting, while towns identified as “low risk” include Cornwall, Grand Isle, Highgate and Fairfield.
Officials urge all Vermonters, whether they live in an at-risk area or not, to take extra precautions to avoid mosquito bites, including using insect repellent, repairing broken window screens and wearing long sleeves.
Authorities are now considering whether to spray insecticides in areas where infected mosquitoes have been found to prevent the disease from spreading, the statement said.
