CASS COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Health officials have confirmed that a resident of Cass County is the tenth human victim to contract Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEE, a deadly mosquito-borne sickness.
In addition to the tenth human, five more cases of the disease in horses have been reported in Jackson, Kent and Tuscola counties.
Health officials have confirmed that the onset dates of illness for the Cass County resident and the horses were prior to aerial treatments throughout Western Michigan that began on Sept. 30.
Of the ten cases reported in humans, four have died from the illness.
Although most mosquitoes are expected to die off once the first seasonal hard frost hits, citizens are still advised to take proper precautions in preventing mosquito bites:
- Avoiding being outdoors from dusk to dawn when mosquitos that carry the EEE virus are most active.
- Applying insect repellents that contain the active ingredient DEET, or other U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-registered product to exposed skin or clothing, and always follow the manufacturer’s directions for use.
- Wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors. Apply insect repellent to clothing to help prevent bites.
- Maintaining window and door screening to help keep mosquitoes outside.
- Emptying water from mosquito breeding sites around the home, such as buckets, unused kiddie pools, old tires or similar sites where mosquitoes may lay eggs.
- Using nets and/or fans over outdoor eating areas.
More information is available at Michigan.gov/EEE.
