Mosquitos Spreading Rare Illness

With all the rain in some parts of the country, and social distancing guidelines requiring restaurants and other businesses to operate outdoors, facility managers who arrange for mosquito spraying will want to be diligent about insect control this fall. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) last week announced its first suspected case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), a potentially deadly illness caused by the EEE virus, CNN reports

Five confirmed human cases of EEE have been reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—three in Massachusetts and two in Wisconsin. There are typically only 5 to 10 human cases reported in the United States each year. However, there was an unusual increase in the number of reported cases and deaths in 2019. Health officials are hoping this pattern does not repeat in 2020.

EEE symptoms can be mild and might include fever, chills, aches, and general discomfort, but severe cases can involve swell of the brain or meningitis. About 30% of all cases result in death.