Mosquito infected with EEE found in Nickerson State Park on the Cape
A mosquito found during routine testing at Nickerson State Park was infected with Eastern equine encephalitis, the first such case ever recorded on Cape Cod, state health officials said.
The mosquito was the type that bites humans and was among about 50 in a park trap recovered on July 19. State lab results released Friday confirmed at least one of the insects in the trap had the virus.
Anne Roach, a spokeswoman for the State Department of Public Health, said the infected mosquito was found after routine testing that is conducted several times a week around the state.
“There are traps all over the Commonwealth, and there is common surveillance,’’ Roach said. “This was part of that.’’
On its website, the town of Brewster is urging residents to be cautious, recommending they consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during the evening or early morning.
Roach said Barnstable County will start collecting more samples after the finding, and said officials have started ground spraying the area.
Despite the discovery, Nickerson State Park officials said people are still visiting the grounds and camping. Officials there are giving campers information on how to prevent mosquito bites.
As of Saturday, there were no reports of EEE-bearing mosquitoes biting any individuals in the area.
In 2006, the virus was detected in Dennis and Barnstable in a mosquito that only bites birds, state health officials said.
Carry Noyes, who owns JT’s Seafood in Brewster, about 3 miles from Nickerson State Park, said nobody in her restaurant Saturday expressed worry about the mosquito.
“Obviously you have to be careful,’’ Noyes said and added that she does not think the discovery will affect her business.
Saturday has been one of the busiest days this season, she said, and business is usually brisk toward the end of summer.
“These next three weeks will be pretty busy,’’ she said.
To avoid mosquito bites, health officials urge people to apply insect repellent containing DEET, permethrin, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 when they go outdoors.
EEE symptoms include a high fever, stiff neck, headache, and fatigue. Symptoms tend to present themselves three to 10 days after a bite from an infected mosquito.
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