Vermont and New England are seeing an increase in eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, in their mosquito populations this summer.
Health officials have issued warnings for people in high-risk towns to stay indoors between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. to minimize the chances of mosquito bites.
More from Vermont Edition: EEE and the mosquitoes that carry it
Currently, the affected towns are:
High risk:
- Burlington
- Alburgh
- Colchester
- Swanton
- Sudbury
- Whiting
Moderate risk:
- Milton
- Vergennes
- Cornwall
- Grand Isle
- New Haven
Low risk:
- Highgate
- Fairfield
- Benson
- Brandon
- Leicester
Patsy Kelso, Vermont's state epidemiologist, said the goal of these warnings is to decrease exposure to mosquitoes when they are most active, between dusk and dawn.
These warnings come after cases were found earlier this summer across the region, including one case resulting in hospitalization in Chittenden County, and a death in New Hampshire this week.
More from New Hampshire Public Radio: Hampstead resident dies from mosquito-borne EEE virus
Why now?
Kelso, with the health department, said that not only are there more mosquitoes with EEE this summer, there are more mosquitoes in Vermont, period.
EEE tends to stick around for a few years. New England had an active EEE season last summer, so officials were anticipating more activity this year.
Patti Casey, who leads the Environmental Surveillance Program and tracking efforts for the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, said the disease tends to resurface in New England every decade or so and stick around for a few years.
And the exceptionally wet weather Vermont has seen last summer and this summer creates more breeding habitat for the insects.
Because human-caused climate change is making Vermont and the Northeast wetter, it also has the potential to make mosquito populations boom.
On top of that, milder winters mean more species of mosquito can survive here — including some that carry diseases that humans can catch.
Symptoms
If you're bitten by a EEE-carrying mosquito, you may not have any symptoms at all. If you do develop symptoms, they may be mild, like:
- Fever
- Chills
- Body aches
More severe symptoms include:
- Severe headache
- Altered mental state
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Coma
- Seizures
Symptoms can appear between four and 10 days after a person is bitten.
Though they are rare, severe cases are fatal about 30% of the time, and those who survive may face continuing neurological issues, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Who's at risk?
While everyone is at risk of receiving a mosquito bite, some are at higher risk of severe infection.
"We all unfortunately get bites," Kelso said. "But people who are older and very young are more likely to develop that severe form of illness."
According to the Vermont Department of Health, children under age 15 and people over age 50 are at the highest risk for developing severe disease.
What can I do to stay safe?
If you're in an area that's received alerts for those active mosquito times — dusk through dawn — try to stay indoors when possible.
If you are not currently under one of those advisories, however, Kelso said you should still take precautions.
"Everyone throughout the state, however, should take care to avoid mosquito bites, and that includes using insect repellent and covering up with long sleeves and pants if you're outside when mosquitoes are active," Kelso said.
If you will be outdoors for long periods of time, consider using an insect repellent with an effective ingredient like DEET or picaridin, in addition to clothing that covers your skin, and possibly a mosquito net to cover your head. You can also treat your clothing with Permethrin.
Kelso also recommends limiting the amount of mosquitoes near where you spend your time.
"This is really hard to do, but even little things like getting rid of small areas of standing water where mosquitoes can breed around your home, like your gutters or your bird baths, things like that, just making sure that water doesn't get stagnant, because that's where mosquitoes like to breed," Kelso said. "And mosquitoes don't fly very far, so they tend to stay within a mile of where they hatch from some water source. So getting rid of that standing water around your home can help reduce your risk."
How are affected towns responding to EEE warnings?
In some high-risk towns, officials are canceling or rescheduling outdoor events taking place after dusk.
The Swanton Recreation Commission has canceled all activities after 6 p.m.
In Burlington, the Intervale Center has canceled its Summervale event scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 5.
School districts who serve high-risk areas are also adjusting sports practice and game schedules, and encouraging families to take measures against mosquitoes.
This story will be updated.
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