LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Mosquito season isn’t quietly fading away in Michigan. Instead, the state is heading into September with Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) detected in both a person and a horse, along with its first reported human cases of West Nile virus this year.
The latest warning came Aug. 31, when the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development confirmed EEE in an under-vaccinated one-year-old Quarter Horse colt in Clare County. The animal was taken to a specialty hospital for treatment but ultimately had to be euthanized.
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The horse case follows Michigan’s first human EEE case since 2021, confirmed in a Roscommon County resident in August. Michigan has also reported two human West Nile virus cases in Kent and Wayne counties.
The detections are an important reminder that even though summer is winding down, the bugs that can carry potentially serious diseases aren’t necessarily going anywhere yet.
“They’re all going to be active till it gets below 50 degrees,” Kurt Avery, founder of outdoor protection company Sawyer, told Michigan News Source about the state’s mosquitoes. “They don’t have the same calendar we do.”
What Is EEE?
EEE is a rare but potentially deadly virus transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. Symptoms can include fever, headache, chills and nausea and, in severe cases, progress to brain inflammation, disorientation, seizures and coma.
“EEE is one of the most dangerous mosquito-borne diseases in the U.S., with a 30% fatality rate among people who become ill,” Michigan Chief Medical Executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian said.
Don’t Put Away the Repellent Yet
Avery said mosquito-borne illnesses tend to grab headlines in August because mosquito populations and human exposure have had months to build.
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“It becomes really big in the media around August every year, because that’s when you get a lot of cases because the population of mosquitoes and people is at its max,” Avery said.
MDHHS recommends using EPA-registered repellents containing ingredients including DEET or picaridin, along with wearing long pants, long sleeves, shoes and socks. Residents should also eliminate standing water from bird baths, old tires, pools and other containers where mosquitoes can breed.
Avery also recommends permethrin-treated clothing and gear as another barrier against mosquitoes and ticks and added, “Using your clothing as a barrier for the mosquito can be just as effective as having to put anything on your skin.”
Ticks Aren’t Done Either
Ticks remain another concern for hikers, hunters, pet owners and anyone spending time in wooded or grassy areas. Avery recommends light-colored clothing to make ticks easier to spot, treating appropriate clothing and footwear with permethrin, and checking yourself after returning indoors. Clothes can also be placed in a hot dryer to kill ticks hiding in the fabric.
He also offered a practical tip for hunters bringing home a deer that may be carrying dozens – or even hundreds – of ticks. As the animal cools, those ticks can drop off into the bed of the truck. He recommended laying the deer on a permethrin-treated blanket or piece of canvas, creating a barrier that kills the ticks after they fall from the animal rather than leaving them crawling around the truck bed.
If a tick is attached to your body, Avery recommends using tweezers or a tick-removal device and pulling it slowly and steadily rather than using petroleum jelly, heat or other methods intended to make it detach on its own.
Michigan may be turning the calendar to September, but mosquitoes and ticks aren’t checking the date. Until colder temperatures arrive, the best defense is to keep the repellent handy, keep checking for ticks and remember that bug season doesn’t necessarily end when summer does.
