Mosquito-borne Illness Detected in Bay County

A mosquito-borne illness has been discovered in a sample from Bay County.

According to Bay County Mosquito Control, routine testing has found evidence of Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus in a sample from Hampton Township. The agency says people bitten by infected mosquitos often show no symptoms. Even with the low threat of infection, mosquito control says EEE is the most serious of mosquito-transmitted viruses in Michigan. Early symptoms can include fever, chills, fatigue, and in rare cases neurological symptoms, though in severe cases, EEE has a 30% fatality rate.

Officials say that identifying the virus this early allows mosquito control to respond before any cases of human or animal infection.