Health officials say a deer in Fenton Township that tested positive for a dangerous mosquito-borne disease is currently a single identified case.

The Genesee County Health Department issued a press release today stating that a deer was discovered in Fenton Township that was reported as testing positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEE, on September 9th. EEE, a potentially fatal virus, is the most dangerous mosquito-borne disease in the United States.

The release stated that Fenton Township has a robust season-long mosquito abatement program and was proactive in their response to the single identified case of EEE. An additional targeted mosquito spraying was conducted within a two mile radius of where the deer was found. A contracted mosquito abatement company then took further action to set out three mosquito traps in the targeted area. When the traps were full the mosquitoes were sent to the Michigan State University laboratory to test for West Nile Virus and EEE. All test results were negative for both diseases.

Due to the quick response to treat the targeted area, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services notified the Genesee County Health Department on September 26th that it was holding off on offering aerial insecticide spraying in Genesee County at this time. The GCHD in its release says it concurred with that decision. The Health Department says if the risk changes substantially and there are additional animal or human cases of EEE identified in Genesee County, the MDHHS would reconsider offering aerial spraying.

If the county is offered the treatment at a later date, residents will be notified through a media release, social media, and by visiting the department’s website. The press release can be viewed in its entirety at the attachment below. (DK)