Unusual Amount of Mosquitoes so Far in New York State

Doesn't it seem like you have seen so many mosquitoes so far this year? It might not even be dark or dusk and all of the sudden you might see mosquitos right in the middle of the day.

It could just be the time of year and how wet it has been outside in New York State, but you should take some precautionary steps to make sure that you and the family are safe this summer.

There is a rare disease that someone in New York State got from a mosquito.

The Eastern equine encephalitis illness (EEE) is an illness that causes inflammation of the brain and is because someone got bit by a mosquito. The disease is extremely rare, but very serious. This is the first reported death in since 2015.

Here are things you should know about EEE that I thought were the most useful:

• It is EXTREMELY rare.
• Since 1974, 12 individuals in NYS have been diagnosed.
• 7 of them have died.
• people over the age of 50 and younger than the age of 15 are at greatest risk for developing severe disease when infected
• Symptoms of EEE infection typically appear 4-10 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.

What are some of the symptoms of EEE?

Usually after 4 to 10 days someone who has the disease will get:

• sudden onset of headaches
• high fever
• chills
• vomiting
• disorientation
• seizures
• encephalitis (brain swelling)

According to the New York State website, there ended up being 8 deaths from EEE in New York State:

The New York State Department of Health (.gov) also reported that 115 human cases of WNV and 8 deaths have been reported in New York State, excluding New York City, since 2020.

The best thing you can do is put bug spray on. Mosquitos also hate lavender if you can plant that by your home.