It’s the Most Dangerous Critter Alive and It’s Loose in Michigan!

The most dangerous and deadly critter known to man is loose in Michigan so you had better watch out this summer. It's not big, and it's not hairy, just very little and most of the time you don't know you have been attacked until it's too late.

I'm talking about the pesky mosquito. Those little buggers that bother us when outside, especially closer to dusk. We're swatting them all the time. So we put on bug repellant hoping that will do the trick.

So, what's the big deal? A little mosquito bite will itch for awhile but after that it goes away.

Not so fast there, Bucky. They can carry all sorts of diseases that are deadly to humans, and one of those diseases has been detected in Michigan.

The Barry-Eaton District Health Department found mosquitoes that tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, Fox 17 reported! The concern is that the virus can spread after just one bite from an infected mosquito.

MDHHS Chief Medical Executive Doctor Natasha Bagdasarian said:

“EEE is one of the most dangerous mosquito-borne diseases in the United States with a 33% fatality rate in people who become ill!”

According to the health department, anyone can get sick with EEE, but those most prone to be the most sick are under 15 and over 50.

So, what do you look for...what are the signs? Look for a sudden onset of fever, chills and body and joint aches that can progress to severe encephalitis, leading to headaches, disorientation, tremors, seizures and paralysis, and lead to permanent brain damage, coma and death in some cases.

Okay, so does that mean I have to stay indoors all the time, or wear mosquito netting when venturing out?

No, it's not that bad, however we do need to use insect repellents that have either the active ingredient DEET or other EPA-approved products.
Wear light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and long pants while outdoors— make sure you apply the insect repellent not only to exposed skin but also to your clothes.
Use window and door screens to help keep mosquitoes outside.
Empty and refill water from mosquito breeding sites around your property at least once a week— this can include buckets, unused pools, old tires and other water-holding containers where mosquitoes could lay eggs.

Side note for owners of horses. Those infected with EEE have a 90% death rate.

There is no need to panic here. There were no human cases of EEE in 2022. However, there were confirmed 15 human cases of EEE between 2019 and 2021— eight of those cases resulted in death, so be cautious!

Happy Summer!