EEE virus returns to Whiting

The Vermont Department of Health has detected the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus in mosquitoes collected from the Town of Whiting, according to an announcement on Aug. 22. The virus turned up in batches gathered from the swamps on Aug. 19. It is the first time this year that the virus was found in the area. Back in June, EEE showed up in mosquitoes collected from Grand Isle, in the northern portion of Lake Champlain.

While the EEE-carrying mosquito prefers to feed on birds, EEE can be transmitted to humans and farm animals through mosquito bites. No human or animal cases of the disease have been reported so far this year. Residents are cautioned to reduce their risk of mosquito bites and to vaccinate their horses and camelids (llamas, alpacas) against the virus.

"EEE can be a very serious disease and, although the risk of getting infected is low, it is not zero," said Erica Berl, infectious disease epidemiologist with the state Health Department. "No matter where you live, enjoy the outdoors but take precautions to fight the bite."

EEE and West Nile Virus are dangerous mosquito-borne illnesses tracked by the Department of Health. West Nile Virus was detected in mosquitoes collected from St. Albans in early August. The first known cases of EEE infection in the state occurred in 2011, when EEE was found to have caused the deaths of emus on a farm in Brandon. The first human cases of EEE in Vermont were noted in the late summer of 2012 in the Brandon area. No human cases were reported in 2013, though EEE turned up in mosquito samples and the disease did cause the deaths of two horses in Franklin County.

The state has produced the flyer below with steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of infection.