Officials in Michigan are sounding the alarm after detecting the season's first mosquitoes infected with Jamestown Canyon Virus (JCV) in Saginaw County, reported ClickOnDetroit. The mosquitoes in question were nabbed during routine surveillance on May 22, stoking health concerns as the warmer months roll in. Michiganders are being advised to ramp up their defenses against the tiny bloodsuckers that can transmit JCV, known for invoking symptoms like high fever, muscle weakness, and in severe cases, meningitis or encephalitis.
"It only takes one bite from an infected mosquito to cause a severe illness," Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the chief medical executive at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, emphasized by MLive. In response to the growing threat, the Saginaw County Mosquito Abatement Commission (SCMAC) has reiterated avoiding outdoor activities from dusk to dawn when mosquitoes are most active and utilizing EPA-approved insect repellents.
Aside from personal protection, residents can take steps to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds around their homes by eradicating stagnant water from containers such as buckets, kiddie pools, and old tires. SCMAC is urging the community to contact them about standing water in areas like ditches and fields that could harbor mosquito larvae, as noted by WNEM.
JCV’s presence in Michigan is not new, with six cases in 2021, one in 2022, and four in 2023. Despite this, the use of larvicides, an alternative for areas where standing water cannot be eliminated, has been endorsed by health officials as a safe way to tackle the mosquito population. The control methods extended by SCMAC will continue through September, aiming to nip the problem in the bud before mosquito populations peak. For additional guidelines and updates, residents can visit the SCMAC website or Michigan's Emerging Diseases webpage.
Citizens are also advised to report any sightings of dead crows or blue jays, which can be indicators of West Nile Virus, another mosquito-borne disease. Such reports can assist with ongoing virus surveillance efforts. The SCMAC has communicated this information, because those birds exhibit a high mortality rate from the virus, becoming a crucial component of monitoring and combating the spread of these illnesses.
