MARQUETTE, MI— The Marquette County Health Department says Eastern Equine Encephalitis has been diagnosed in a ruffed grouse in the county.
It’s the fourth bird found infected with EEE over the past few years. Officials urge Marquette County and U.P. residents to protect themselves against mosquito bites.
EEE is one of the most dangerous mosquito-borne diseases in the U.S., with a 33-percent fatality rate among humans who become ill. It also has a 90-percent fatality rate among horses that become ill. Infection in both occur through the bite of an infected mosquito. It is not spread person-to-person.
Residents should avoid mosquito bites by wearing long sleeves, emptying standing water and wearing insect repellent. Horses should be placed in barns with fans during peak mosquito activity, vaccinated against
EEE and protected with species-approved insect repellant.
Officials say mosquito-borne illnesses will continue to be a risk until nighttime temperatures consistently fall below freezing.
