FLINT, MI – The state will spray Lapeer County with pesticides to prevent a potentially mosquito-borne virus from spreading.
Genesee County, where a deer was found dead from the virus, is not being sprayed by the state, however.
“My understanding is Genesee is currently treating its own county,” said Lynn Sutfin, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
The Genesee County Health Department didn’t immediately respond to The Flint Journal-MLive’s requests for comment on preventative or precautionary efforts the county is taking against the mosquito-borne virus.
Lapeer is one of 14 counties the state is spraying in hopes of eliminating mosquitoes that may be carrying Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a virus that’s infected nine people and killed three, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Spraying will include a circle that encompasses a section of Arcadia Township, a small section of northern Attica Township and a small section of western Goodland Township in Lapeer County.
Human cases of EEE were found in the following counties: Kalamazoo, Berrien, Barry, Cass, Calhoun, and Van Buren. The disease has been found in 27 animals in the following counties: Barry, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Genesee, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Lapeer, Montcalm, Newaygo, St. Joseph and Van Buren.
Aerial spraying will occur 300 feet above the ground by a twin-engine plane and will begin at 8 p.m. on Sept. 29. The pesticides being sprayed are not harmful to humans, according to MDHHS.
“We are taking this step to help protect the health and safety of Michiganders in areas of the state that are being affected by this dangerous mosquito-borne disease,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, MDHHS chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “The continuing number of cases in both people and animals indicate an ongoing risk for EEE exposure. We continue to urge residents to protect themselves against mosquito bites until a hard frost.”
Outbreaks of EEE have occurred in the state every decade since 1980 when the first human case was reported. The number of human cases this year, nine, is more than the total number of cases in the last ten years combined, according to MDHHS.
Health officials confirmed that a deer in Genesee County needed to be euthanized after EEE. The deer was found near Fenton.
“Swift action was taken by the municipality involved and targeted pest management, including focused localized spraying, was initiated in response to the single infected deer detection,” the Genesee County Health Department previously stated in an email.
In Lapeer Counties, a horse was identified with the disease. The infected horse was found in the Lum area near Arcadia Township.
Some local municipalities and companies are also fighting back.
The city of Fenton contracts APM Mosquito Control for mosquito control services. The city confirmed that, when news of the EEE virus became public, APM did additional testing of the mosquito population in the city
APM General Manager Chuck Mullins said the testing was done without additional charge to the city.
Adult mosquitoes were collected and sent to Michigan State University for testing. None of the mosquitoes tested positively for EEE.
APM has contracts to provide pesticide control for 28 townships and cities between Genesee, Lapeer, Isabella, Iosco, Arenac, Gladwin and Shiawasee counties.
Established in 1986, mosquitoes have been APM’s focus, he said. Many school districts and organizations outside of the municipality the company serves have been contacting APM after news broke about the virus.
“It is a dangerous disease and it’s a very rare occurrence for a human to get it,” Mullins said.
Mullins said the mosquito season will likely be over within the next week as temperatures drop.
The city of Fenton, Fenton Township, city of Linden, Gaines Township and Montrose Township are included in municipalities contracted by APM. The company also serves Rich Township in Lapeer County.
Some residents have taken mosquito abatement into their own hands.
Suzanne Zelinski, owner of Mosquito Control and Pest Management in Swartz Creek, said she has received three times as many calls about mosquito control services since EEE has become a rising concern.
Zelinski is offering half off her services for the rest of the year in an attempt to make pesticide control available to more people.
“I’m doing it for the community,” she said. “I feel that a lot of people don’t' have their yards sprayed because they can’t afford it. There’s a lot of families in need and there are a lot of animals out there that are going to die if we can’t get this under control.”
People who engage in outdoor work and recreational activities in areas where the virus is found are at increased risk of infection. Those over 50 and under 15 appear to be at the greatest risk for developing severe disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In addition to avoiding outdoor activity, particularly after dusk and before dawn, state and local health officials are also advising residents in the affected areas on how they can minimize their chance of contracting the virus.