Mosquitoes carrying eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) have been found in Chester.
It is the first time mosquitoes in Connecticut have tested positive for EEE this season, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health. The infected mosquito was trapped Aug. 8.
Eastern equine encephalitis is a virus transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. Human cases are rare, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most infected patients show no symptoms, but severe cases can include sudden onset of headache, high fever, chills and can progress into disorientation, seizures and coma.
According to the CDC, eastern equine encephalitis is one of the most severe mosquito-transmitted diseases in the U.S. and causes death in about one-third of all patients who contract it.
"While the identification of mosquitoes infected with eastern equine encephalitis virus occurs during most years, the detection of infected mosquitoes this early in the season is a concern," said Theodore Andreadis, Chief Medical Entomologist for the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.
The numbers of the type of mosquito carrying EEE are low, meaning the risk of transmission to humans is low, according to Andreadis.
Mosquitoes infected with West Nile Virus were trapped in 40 Connecticut cities and towns Aug. 8.
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West Nile virus is more common than EEE. According to the CDC, 693 human cases of West Nile Virus have been reported nationwide in 2012, including 26 deaths.
