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Eastern equine encephalitis detected in Oswego County mosquitoes

The mosquito Aedes aegypti can spread several diseases as it travels from person to person. Only the females feed on blood. This mosquito is just starting to feed on a person’s arm. USDA photo by Stephen Ausmus.
Stephen Ausmus/stephen ausmus
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ARS
The mosquito Aedes aegypti can spread several diseases as it travels from person to person. Only the females feed on blood. This mosquito is just starting to feed on a person’s arm. USDA photo by Stephen Ausmus.

The deadly Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus is getting closer, as a new case has been found in our own back yard. Oswego County health officials report that EEE was found in mosquito samples collected by the New York State Department of Health.

Even though summer is over, mosquitoes are still active until heavy frosts occur. The virus, which can lead to serious illness or death (especially for people over 50 or children under 15) is a rare disease that can cause fever, headaches, and seizures.

The CDC illustrates the Eastern equine encephalitis virus transmission cycle
The CDC illustrates the Eastern equine encephalitis virus transmission cycle

An Ulster County resident recently died from EEE, and there is no vaccine for humans. The CDC recommends using mosquito repellents, wearing protective clothing, and reducing standing water around homes.

Local authorities continue monitoring mosquitoes and offer free mosquito control kits to help reduce the risk.

Kat is WAER's anchor/producer, delivering local news content and hosting NPR's "All Things Considered." She excels in creating engaging long-form content, managing promotions, and leading audio editing projects. Kat is also instrumental in converting daily news content into digital formats for distribution on WAER.org.