MAHONING TWP., Pa. – State health officials are in Carbon County to battle a potentially deadly disease. Carbon is one of three counties in Pennsylvania where the mosquito-borne Eastern Equine Encephalitis has been found.
At 6:30 p.m. the state Department of Environmental Protection will spray for adult mosquitoes in nearby Mahoning Township, where evidence of the disease was found. Human cases are very rare but it is deadly 30% of the time.
“At nighttime you just slap them,” said Carol Leslie.
“Do you wear bug spray?” WFMZ’s Bo Koltnow asked the Carbon County resident.
“When I think of it,” she said.
The thought may now be constantly on her mind.
Evidence of the mosquito-spread disease Eastern Equine Encephalitis has been found in three Pennsylvania counties, including Carbon and Monroe.
Muhlenberg College Professor of Biology and mosquito expert Martin Edwards says EEE is borne from a swamp mosquito and can live in horses and birds. But if another mosquito bites an infected animal and then you that’s when the disease can spread.
“This year in Eastern U.S. it’s a big year for the virus. So it’s not entirely surprising that we’re finding it in Pennsylvania,” Edwards said.
Symptoms are a high fever, stiff neck, headaches, lack of energy and swelling of the brain.
There is no known cure and 30% of cases are fatal. However, since 1964 there have only been two human cases in PA, the last in 1979.
“The virus has cycled in nature since the 1930’s. What’s been interesting is within the last 10 years the cycles seem to be more frequent.”
Warmer winters, wetter summers are a real concern,” Edwards said.
It’s all enough for Leslie to rethink her outside protection.
“Do you think you will wear bug spray at all times?” Bo asked.
“Yes, haha,” she said.
Officials say dusk and dawn are the worst times to be out.
They are advising people to wear proper bug spray.
