Scientists Warn About Reemerging EEE, Lyme

Scientists from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Thursday announced Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) may make a return this year and advised residents to take precautions outdoors.

Earlier this week, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced the state has detected EEE in multiple mosquito samples. Scientists in Massachusetts and Connecticut predicted a reemergence of EEE after last year’s outbreak. In that outbreak, Connecticut saw higher than normal levels of EEE, with 122 positive mosquito samples and three fatalities.

Phil Armstrong, who directs the Connecticut Mosquito and Arbovirus Surveillance Program, said that with more people spending time outside as a precaution against Covid-19, the risks of contracting mosquito and tick viruses and diseases such as Lyme are greatly amplified.

Through surveillance programs like Armstrong’s, scientists can study species of mosquitoes and ticks and keep track of what diseases they are carrying. Although the surveillance programs can typically detect these diseases early on, residents still need to stay alert and break out the bug spray. ​“Our best tool to combat these diseases is prevention,” Armstrong said.

“While we’re dealing with this unprecedented pandemic of Covid-19, it’s important we don’t lose sight of the diseases that are transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks that occur here every year in Connecticut,” he said.

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station houses two surveillance programs to identify species and diseases of ticks and mosquitoes. Last year, the tick test lab identified over 4,000 ticks submitted by Connecticut residents. A majority of these ticks were blacklegged ticks, which carry Lyme disease.

The mosquito surveillance program hires 13 college and recent graduate students to sort and identify each mosquito down to species level before testing them for viruses such as EEE and West Nile virus.

The scientists lay traps across the state and collect over 200,000 mosquitoes each year. Mosquitoes are attracted into each net trap by a light source and dry ice chunks that let off carbon dioxide.

After collection, the mosquitoes are transported on dry ice to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

At socially distanced desks, they sort the mosquitoes into the roughly 50 species types found in Connecticut and look out for exotic invasive species as well.

U.S Sen. Richard Blumenthal joined scientists at the station at a press conference Thursday to urge Connecticut residents to take precautions, both against EEE and Lyme disease, when going outside.

“Lyme disease is such a cruel, crippling disease. So many people suffer from it without knowing and sometimes they never know they are suffering from it.” Blumenthal said. Lyme disease this year is particularly dangerous because residents are spending so much time outdoors, and also because the symptoms of Lyme can be similar to Covid-19.

Covid-19 and Lyme share symptoms of fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches. ​“People who then test negative for coronavirus figure they’re out of the woods!” he said.

Blumenthal encouraged residents to use bug spray and tick repellent, and to wear long sleeves, socks, and shoes when possible outdoors.

“This can’t be said or repeated enough: When you go into the woods, play in the grass, when you’re outdoors in the bushes, or gardening, or taking a hike protect yourself, inspect yourself, wear the right garments,” he said.

Watch part of the press conference below (before this reporter’s phone overheated and the video cut out):