Jamestown Canyon Virus Detected in Bay County Mosquito

Jamestown Canyon Virus, or JCV, has been detected in a mosquito in Bay County’s Kawkawlin Township. Bay County Mosquito Control is conducting control efforts in the area to reduce adult and larval mosquito populations. JCV was last detected in Bay County in 2021.

The virus is transmitted through mosquito bites, and symptoms include fever, headache, and fatigue. The virus can cause serious illness including inflammation of the brain. Last year six people in Michigan became ill with JCV. This is the first mosquito-borne illness detected in Michigan this year.

Bay County Mosquito Control advises that the best way to prevent mosquito-transmitted illness is to reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home and take personal precautions to avoid mosquito bites. To further lessen the risk, follow these recommendations:

• Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn.

• Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks when outdoors.

• Apply insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to label
instructions. Consult a physician or visit the CDC website, www.cdc.gov, before applying repellents to
infants.

• Eliminate sources of standing water on property (i.e. wading pools, old tires, bird baths, containers) by
dumping water when possible to prevent larvae from developing into biting adults.

• Vaccinating horses for both West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis is strongly recommended.

For more information visit https://www.baycounty-mi.gov/MosquitoControl/Mosquito-Diseases