Michigan EEE Human Case Confirmed

Michigan has officially handed us another reason (as if we needed another) to loathe mosquitoes. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) confirmed a "locally acquired" case of Eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, in a Roscommon County resident.

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It's the first human case since 2021. Reuters reports EEE is rare, with only a few human cases happening nationally each year, but Michigan health officials say that about 30% of people who become ill die from it.

What Is Eastern Equine Encephalitis?

brown horse — Photo by Mathias Reding on Unsplash

EEE is a virus spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. Michigan's mosquitoes are the delivery system here; those tiny airborne syringes that apparently felt itchy red bumps weren't enough of a contribution to society.

The virus circulates between birds and mosquitoes, and infected mosquitoes can pass it to people and horses. It isn't spread from horses to people, so no need to cancel those horseback riding lessons.

Symptoms can include fever, headache, chills, and nausea. Severe infections can cause inflammation of the brain, leading to disorientation, seizures, or coma. All in all, EEE is something you want to avoid at all costs.

How Michigan Residents Can Avoid EEE

Bees swarm around a bird bath in a garden — Photo by Rusty Watson on Unsplash

CBS Detroit and Michigan health officials recommend using an EPA-registered mosquito repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, ensuring all screens in your home are intact and free of holes, and removing any standing water around your home that may look like a nursery for mosquitoes.

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This means birdbaths, kiddie pools, buckets, old tires, and anything else quietly operating as a mosquito maternity ward. Additional mosquito trapping and testing are now underway in Roscommon County.

Michigan's 5 Most Common Winter Bugs: How to Keep Them Out

Michigan's Falls may be filled with color, but while we're looking up and admiring the trees, bugs are slipping in through tiny little crevices in your home that are essentially little welcome mats for the state's top 5 winter pests. When you're battling bugs, you go to someone who's in the trenches, so I asked Bob Yoakman, Mason, Michigan's Bug Man, for tips on how to keep Michigan's 5 Most Common Winter Bugs at bay.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow

Michigan Home Remedies to Get Rid of Stink Bugs

They are considered “an invasive pest” in Michigan, so don’t feel guilty wishing the brown marmorated stink bug an untimely demise. The stink, hence, the name. They do have some natural predators, including beetles, crickets, spiders, and birds, but arming yourself is the best way to prevent these smelly little insects from taking over your home and yard.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow

11 Bugs You Can Survive On (Eat) If Lost in the Wilds of Michigan

In the event your GPS sends you wildly off course and you find yourself stranded deep in the heart of Michigan's vast forests, rest assured you can survive, nay, thrive on a diet of insects and other creatures found underfoot, underground, and under logs.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow