LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — In an effort to prevent spread of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), MDHHS announced plans Monday, Sept. 14 to conduct aerial mosquito control treatment in certain high-risk areas of Michigan.
“There is an ongoing threat to the health and safety of Michiganders,” chief medical executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said in a statement Wednesday. “We are taking this step in an effort to protect residents in areas of the state where we know mosquitoes are carrying this potentially deadly disease.”
This comes after the first suspected case of EEE in a Barry County resident was announced Tuesday. This human case is in addition to 22 confirmed cases in horses from 10 counties. There are also nine confirmed cases of West Nile Virus.
Treatment is scheduled to begin Wednesday, September 16 in the 10 impacted counties: Barry, Clare, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Mecosta, Montcalm, Newaygo and Oakland.
Additional areas may be selected for treatment if new human or animal cases occur outside of the currently identified zones.
According to the Detroit Free Press, spraying will begin in each county at 8 p.m., and will continue into dawn. Mosquitoes carrying the virus are said to be most active at that time.
Health officials add that EEE is one of the most dangerous mosquito-borne diseases in the United States, with a 33 percent fatality rate in people who become ill and a 90 percent fatality rate in horses that become ill. People can be infected with EEE and other mosquito-borne diseases from the bite of a mosquito carrying the viruses.
Signs of EEE infection include the sudden onset of fever, chills, body and joint aches which can progress to a severe encephalitis, resulting in headache, disorientation, tremors, seizures and paralysis. Anyone who thinks they may be experiencing these symptoms should contact a medical provider. Permanent brain damage, coma and death may also occur in some cases.
Aerial treatment will be conducted by Clarke from St. Charles, Illinois beginning in the early evening and continuing up until the following dawn. Treatment will be conducted using Merus 3.0, the same product used in 2019 in Michigan to treat 557,000 acres.
Merus 3.0 is registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Michigan Department of Agricultural and Rural Development, and is labeled for public health use over residential areas.
Residents can stay healthy by following steps to avoid mosquito bites:
- Apply insect repellents that contain the active ingredient DEET, or other U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved product to exposed skin or clothing, and always follow the manufacturer’s directions for use.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors. Apply insect repellent to clothing to help prevent bites.
- Maintain window and door screening to help keep mosquitoes outside.
- Empty water from mosquito breeding sites around the home, such as buckets, unused kiddie pools, old tires or similar sites where mosquitoes may lay eggs.
- Use nets and/or fans over outdoor eating areas.
For more information about EEE, visit Michigan.gov/EEE.
