HAMPTON, Conn. — State officials confirmed this week that EEE has been detected in another town.
In Connecticut's latest Mosquito Testing Report updated Tuesday, it was reported that the Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus or EEE was detected in Mosquitoes sampled on August 12 in Hampton.
This is the second town to have positive-sampled mosquitoes in 2020.
Officials said EEE was detected in Mosquitoes sampled on August 5 in Stonington. Experts consider the detection early in the mosquito season a cause for concern.
Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Hence why the swampy areas east of the Connecticut River tend to see the most activity.
This detection comes a few weeks earlier than expected and around the same time as it did last year.
28 communities across Connecticut experienced the surfacing of EEE mosquitoes in 2019. Four people contracted the virus, three of which died.
EEE is the most severe mosquito-transmitted disease in the U.S. Approximately 33 percent of people who contract the virus die while most survivors have significant brain damage.
To reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes residents should:
- Minimize time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
- Be sure door and window screens are tight-fitting and in good repair.
- Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time, or when mosquitoes are more active. Clothing should be light colored and made of tightly woven materials that keep mosquitoes away from the skin.
- Use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in an unscreened structure and to protect small babies when outdoors.
- Consider the use of mosquito repellents recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), such as ones containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, IR3535, or 2-undecanone, and apply according to directions, when it is necessary to be outdoors.
The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) also reported this week that a Waterbury resident has tested positive for West Nile virus infection.
It is the first human case of West Nile-associated illness identified in Connecticut in the 2020 season.
DPH said the patient, who is between 40-49 years of age, became ill during the second week of July with West Nile fever and is recovering. Laboratory tests had confirmed the presence of antibodies to West Nile. DPH said the person may have been exposed to the virus in the Newington/Wethersfield area.
