On September 19, 77-year old Patricia Shaw of East Lyme passed away after contracting the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus, the first EEE death in Connecticut since 2013. In the weeks since, two more deaths have followed, with the EEE virus detected in more than 20 Connecticut towns. After a record-breaking year for both EEE cases and deaths, this issue has caused much concern in the local community. While some towns have taken actions to protect citizens from the virus, other towns have attempted to calm public anxiety, assuring citizens that the disease is rare and unlikely to be fatal.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, EEE is a rare virus that causes brain infections and neurological damage to vital areas of brain tissue. The virus’s life cycle begins in freshwater swamps, where it infects birds. Mosquitoes that feed on these birds acquire the virus and then spread the disease to humans through mosquito bites. However, the most common mosquito species involved in this cycle, Culiseta melanura, seldom feeds on humans, making EEE a relatively rare disease in human populations.
Manchester, Enfield, Middletown, Wallingford, Meriden, and Eastern Highlands have decided not to take action to fight the disease, citing as justification the already dwindling mosquito population and the rarity of the disease. Many of these towns are facing criticism regarding their decision not to spray. In response, Middletown mayor Dan Drew wrote on Facebook, “There is a lot of unwarranted panic about this illness that is outsized to the actual threat posed to anyone. I urge everyone to be calm, and to remember that the odds of getting sick at all — let alone suffering serious consequences — are very slim … This issue is far scarier in the media than in reality.”
The Wallingford Health Department echoed the views of Mayor Drew. Wallingford’s Director of Health Stephen A. Civitelli assures the community that “in terms of risk right now to the community, it has been greatly reduced … the mosquito traffic station in town just sent its report in terms of how many mosquitoes were caught, and right now they only caught four mosquitos … we feel pretty confident with just taking personal precautions.”
Included in these personal precautions is the Wallingford Health Department’s recommendation that all members of the community dress appropriately, to avoid coming into contact with potentially infected mosquitoes. Mr. Civitelli suggests “wearing long sleeve clothes, long sleeve pants, repellent products and avoiding any stagnant water around one’s property.”
Although there is no immediate health threat to Wallingford, Mr. Civiltelli stated that if a change in current circumstances arise, active methods to eradicate mosquitoes will be taken to ensure the safety of the Wallingford and Choate communities.
However, many towns have taken substantial action against the virus. Some towns have begun spraying pesticides over fields, forests, and areas near standing water in an effort to kill infected mosquitoes. According to the Journal Inquirer, a Manchester-based newspaper, Dr. Theodore Andreadis, director of a Connecticut program that traps and tests mosquitoes for viruses, said, “Localized spraying and curtailing activity are a good way to go.”
South Windsor, which has declared the virus a public health emergency, has authorized emergency mosquito spraying and has closed parks in the town after 5:30 p.m. to combat the threat of EEE. East Hartford has allocated $45,000 for mosquito spraying near schools and populated areas. Suffield has also promised to spray all woodlines and beds around the town’s public schools and major fields and parks.
