First Human EEE Case In Michigan Found, Mosquito Spraying Starts Tonight

With all of the Coronavirus pandemic coverage you may have forgotten about EEE, but the deadly virus has made its way into Michigan.

The Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus is passed through mosquitoes, and is very dangerous. There have already been more than 10 confirmed animal cases of EEE in Michigan. Now health officials are waiting to confirm the first human case of EEE in 2020. The case is in Barry County, and the man tested positive at the Mayo clinic according to Mlive.

If you're still wondering about how dangerous EEE actually is to humans, just know that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services have issued an official warning about the virus.  The emergency order basically says that counties that have confirmed cases of EEE will be sprayed to kill mosquitoes. The counties themselves are not able to opt out of the spraying.

Michigan's chief medical executive, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun talked about some ways to keep from getting EEE in a press release.

People get EEE the same way horses do – from the bite of an infected mosquito – so a case in a horse means people in that area are also at risk. Limiting exposure at outdoor activities, especially near dusk when mosquitoes are most active, is the best way to keep you and your family safe from this deadly disease.

You can learn more about the current EEE outbreak on the Michigan EEE response page here. EEE is scary stuff, as it is one of the more dangerous mosquito born viruses. There is a little more than 30% fatality rate for people that contract EEE, and that's why Michigan officials are wasting no time in spraying. If you have questions about the spraying plan, you can read all of the info provided by Michigan officials here.

The aerial spraying is scheduled to start tonight in Barry, Clare, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Mecosta, Montcalm, Newaygo and Oakland counties.