HARTFORD, Conn. (WTIC Radio)_ The Connecticut Department of Public Health says mosquitoes trapped in Voluntown have tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
Mosquitoes trapped in the Pachaug State Forest in Voluntown on September 23 have tested positive for EEE.
"We encourage residents of southeastern Connecticut to take simple measures such as wearing mosquito repellent and covering bare skin, especially during dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active," said DPH Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani, in a written release.
EEE is a serious but rare illness caused by a virus that is transmitted by mosquitoes. Mosquitoes can only acquire the virus by feeding on infected wild birds. In most years, the virus is found only in species of mosquitoes which feed on birds, but occasionally the virus can be passed on to other mosquito species known to bite people and horses. The virus cannot be passed from person to person or from horses to humans.
The risk of mosquito-transmitted diseases, such as EEE virus, usually increases through the late summer and early fall. Mosquitoes are active until the first heavy frost.
Infection with EEE virus can cause serious illness affecting the brain.
Symptoms include high fever, headache, stiff neck, and decreased consciousness. The disease is fatal in 25-50 percent of cases and many of those who recover experience lasting health problems.