HARTFORD, Conn. — For the first time in 2024, Eastern Equine Encephalitis has been detected in central Connecticut.
EEE was recently discovered at mosquito testing sites in Farmington and Manchester, according to the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program.
While temperatures are cooling, the risk of mosquito-borne diseases is still of concern. The state’s Department of Agriculture announced earlier this week that the first documented case of EEE infection in a horse this year occurred in Fairfield County.
DEEP urges Connecticut residents to protect themselves from mosquitoes.
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station has reportedly detected EEE-positive mosquitoes in 11 towns in the state, including Canterbury, Farmington, Griswold, Ledyard, Lyme, Manchester, North Stonington, Plainfield, Sterling, Stonington and Voluntown. DEEP said that West Nile Virus-infected mosquitoes have been detected in 43 Connecticut towns.
DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said her department continues encouraging all Connecticut residents to take necessary precautions against mosquito bites, especially when outdoors.
“With the presence of both EEE and West Nile Virus in mosquitoes, it is very important that residents minimize time outdoors during dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are prevalent and wear long sleeves and use insect repellent if outside during those times,” Dykes said. “Mosquito activity in the state will not end until the first hard frost, so residents should remain vigilant even if fall continues to bring cooler weather and lower levels of mosquito activity in the coming weeks.”
Connecticut Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD reminds residents that there is no vaccine for EEE, so protection depends on taking personal measures to avoid mosquitoes.
“Symptoms from EEE include severe headache and neck stiffness which can result in nausea, vomiting and dehydration. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek medical attention immediately,” Juthani said.
Dr. Philip Armstrong, a medical examiner at the CAES, said the facility continues detecting mosquitoes carrying EEE in the state’s eastern and centrally located communities. He also said that West Nile Virus continues to be detected throughout the state.
“Late summer-early fall is the critical time of the year when the virus activity reaches its peak in the mosquito population, and the risk is expected to continue until the first hard frost in October,” Armstrong said.
DEEP said that no human cases of EEE have been reported in Connecticut this year, but human cases have been reported in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and New Jersey. An individual died from the illness in New Hampshire this summer.
To reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes, residents should minimize time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active. They should also use mosquito repellents containing an EPA-registered active ingredient.
Wearing shoes, socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for a long period of time when mosquitoes are active is also encouraged. DEEP said clothing should be light-colored, loose-fitting and made of tightly woven materials that keep mosquitoes away from the skin.
Around the house, be sure that door and window screens are tight-fitting and in good repair. When sleeping outdoors, use tents or mosquito netting in an unscreened structure. DEEP also said to cover strollers and baby carriers with mosquito nests when outdoors.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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