Media Release

For: Immediate Release
Date: September 19, 2003
Contact: Robert J. Marshall, PhD 401-222-1017

EEE Shows Up in South County Mosquito Pool 
HEALTH and DEM Urge Personal Protection Measures

Today the RI Department of Health (HEALTH) and Department of Environmental Management (DEM) reported finding the first pool of mosquitoes infected with Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) for 2003. DEM officials collected the mosquitoes on September 10th from a rural area of Washington County. This type of mosquitoes is knows to bite both birds and humans. The location is unrelated to the previous sites of horse deaths and the EEE-infected blue jay. This finding comes at a time when neighboring states report above average EEE activity along parts of the Rhode Island/Connecticut border and in neighboring areas of Massachusetts.

EEE affects the central nervous system and is caused by a virus spread to human and horses by the bite of an infected mosquito. A serious but rare disease, human EEE occurred only 6 times in Rhode Island between 1983 and 2003. The US experiences about 10 human cases of EEE per year.

Common sense, personal protection is still the best and most effective way to prevent mosquito-borne illnesses. HEALTH and DEM urge all Rhode Islanders to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites, such as:

• Use bug spray (30% DEET or less) regularly when outside (age 2 and over)
• Use cover-up clothing (long sleeves and pants) outside—especially at dawn or dusk when mosquitoes feed
• Use mosquito nets over baby carriages and playpens outside. Do not use insect repellent on infants
• Keep screen doors and windows in good repair

For more information about EEE, go to the HEALTH website (www.HEALTH.ri.gov) or the DEM website at www.state.ri.us/dem