OSWEGO - Dr. Dennis Norfleet, Interim Public Health Director for the Oswego County Health Department, announced that the Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus was found in a pool of mosquitoes collected near the Toad Harbor Swamp in West Monroe. The virus has only been found in the type of mosquitoes that bite birds, not in mosquitoes that feed on humans or mammals, said Dr. Norfleet.

The mosquitoes were collected August 18 near the large swamp on the north shore of Oneida Lake and sent to the state health department’s Wadsworth Center Laboratories near Albany for testing.  The Toad Harbor site is a longtime surveillance location known to periodically harbor the EEE virus.

Surveillance programs conducted by Oswego County and the State Department of Health indicate the population of human-biting mosquitoes is not high for this time of summer, and the population of bird-biting species is steady. The mosquito population will start to decline during September with the onset of cooler weather.

EEE is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. In rare cases, EEE causes inflammation and swelling of the brain. Symptoms include sudden high fever, muscle pains, and a headache of increasing severity. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek medical attention.

“There are about 60 different species of mosquitoes in New York State, but only a few species are capable of transmitting the EEE virus,” said Dr. Norfleet.              

“Typically, the EEE virus becomes established in bird-biting species before it crosses over into the human-biting species of mosquitoes. We’ve also been testing species that bite people, but the virus has only been found in mosquitoes that feed on birds.

“Aerial spraying is not warranted at this time,” he continued. “However, we will continue to monitor the situation with the state health department. If conditions changed drastically, we could possibly consider spraying at some point in the future.”