As the coronavirus pandemic slows across the hard-hit Northeast, public health officials in the region, including Newtown’s Health District director, are warning about another potentially bad summer for EEE (eastern equine encephalitis), a rare but severe mosquito-borne virus that causes brain swelling, as well as other insect-borne illnesses.

According to an Associated Press report July 20, EEE saw an unexpected resurgence last summer across ten states: Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Tennessee.

There were 38 human cases and 15 deaths from the virus, with many of the cases in Massachusetts and Michigan, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most years, the country sees just half a dozen cases of the virus in humans, the agency said.

In Massachusetts and New Jersey, officials have already detected EEE in mosquitoes this year, the earliest on record in those states. There have been no human or animal cases yet.

“It’s unnerving,” said Scott Crans, who heads up mosquito control efforts for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Connecticut’s Mosquito Management Program (MMP) began monitoring mosquitoes for the presence of viruses that can cause illness in people, including West Nile virus (WNV) and eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus on June 1. The mosquito trapping and testing program is coordinated by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES).

Statewide mosquito trapping occurs at 108 collection sites in 87 municipalities, including 16 trapping locations that were added this year to increase coverage in high-risk areas for EEE in eastern Connecticut.

Newtown has a trapping site on Key Rock Road; there are added trapping sites in neighboring Bethel, Easton, Monroe, and Redding.

Last season, EEE was detected in 28 communities in Connecticut with a total of 122 positive mosquito samples. There were four confirmed human cases of EEE, and three individuals died.

There were also six horse cases reported, all fatal.

“Last year, we experienced a resurgence of EEE virus activity in eastern Connecticut — part of a region-wide increase that also affected Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Massachusetts,” said Dr Philip Armstrong, medical entomologist at CAES. “We fully expect the virus to return this year, so we will be increasing our monitoring efforts in anticipation of this threat.”

The Connecticut MMP has already reported that mosquitoes trapped in Newington on July 8 tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV) — the first positive findings this year. During 2019, WNV was identified in 82 mosquito pools from 24 towns in five counties in Connecticut.

One human case and one horse case of WNV infection were reported in Fairfield County in 2019.

Tricky To Predict

A number of state health officials say EEE, which has no cure in humans, tends to come in two- to three-year cycles, but they also stress that mosquito-borne diseases are notoriously tricky to predict. A relatively mild winter may have benefited mosquito populations, but below-average rainfall could have also provided a welcome counterweight.

Local health officials are also warning about the risk of contracting other insect-borne illnesses as more people are spending a longer time outdoors amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In Michigan, an invasive mosquito known to transmit dengue, Zika, and other tropical viruses has already been detected for the first time this season, said Mary Grace Stobierski, the state’s public health veterinarian.

Ticks are also expected to be out earlier and in larger numbers this season because of the relatively mild winter, warned Aaron Bernstein, a pediatrician at Boston Children’s Hospital and a director at Harvard’s School of Public Health.

That could mean more cases of debilitating Lyme disease and other tick-related illnesses for local health care systems already feeling the pressure of responding to the coronavirus, he said.

“Some of the people going into the woods more now might not be experienced with how to protect themselves in the forest, and that’s a concern,” Dr Bernstein said.

Officials say people should avoid the evening and early morning hours when mosquitoes are most active, use bug spray, and wear long clothing where possible when outdoors.

The CDC has offered states additional help with mosquito testing this season as the coronavirus pandemic has overwhelmed state public health offices, said Candice Hoffmann, an agency spokeswoman.

In Massachusetts, which was the hardest hit by EEE last year, with 12 cases and six fatalities, officials have been testing earlier, more often, and in a wider range of locations this year in order to quickly identify infection clusters, said State Epidemiologist Catherine Brown.

A pilot effort is also testing the efficacy of different larvicides to help cull the mosquito population at its earliest stages, she said.

A Troubling Development

One troubling development: the two earliest cases of EEE in mosquitoes this year were found in a northern part of the state close to New Hampshire, rather than the virus’ typical hot spots near Cape Cod, where officials also detected the virus in a mosquito sample last week.

That, along with last year’s widespread cases, strongly suggests the territory of EEE-carrying mosquitoes is expanding, according to Brown. Climate changes that are causing warmer summers and altering bird migration patterns and local mosquito populations could be among the drivers, she said.

In Connecticut, Dr Jason White, director of the CAES, said his agency will continue to closely monitor mosquitoes for virus amplification.

“We encourage everyone to take simple measures, such as wearing mosquito repellent and covering bare skin, especially during dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active,” said Dr White. To reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes residents should:

*Minimize time 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 repellent, according to directions, when outdoors.

CAES mosquito trapping and testing continues into October. Positive findings are reported to local health departments and the CAES website — which can be viewed by CLICKING HERE