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

The mosquitoes were collected July 1 near Toad Harbor 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 virus, which is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito.

“EEE is usually detected in bird-biting mosquitoes before it appears in mammal-biting mosquitoes,” said Dr. Norfleet. “The surveillance programs conducted by Oswego County and the State Department of Health indicate the populations of mammal-biting mosquitoes are at seasonal levels considering the recent cool temperatures and wet weather. Therefore, aerial spraying is not warranted at this time.”

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.