The Rhode Island Department of Health is reporting a confirmed case of Jamestown Canyon Virus in a Rhode Island resident. Laboratory testing confirming the diagnosis was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The person who tested positive was a resident of Washington County in his 50s who developed neurological symptoms and is now recovering. Jamestown Canyon Virus is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.
Jamestown Canyon Virus is a mosquito-borne pathogen that can be found widely in North America, especially in the Midwest and Northeast United States. The virus circulates primarily between deer and mosquitoes, but can also infect humans. Human cases can occur from late spring through mid-fall. People can be infected and not develop any symptoms, or only develop very mild symptoms. Early symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headaches, and fatigue. Rarely, more serious central nervous system disease, including meningitis or encephalitis, can occur. For more information on Jamestown Canyon Virus, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/jamestown-canyon/index.html.
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management is announcing today that the most recent round of testing of mosquito samples by the RIDOH State Health Laboratories has confirmed no positive findings of West Nile Virus or Eastern Equine Encephalitis. DEM collected 115 samples of mosquitoes from 29 traps set statewide on July 19. Results from the 105 pools collected on July 26 are pending. Connecticut Department of Public Health reported seven WNV isolations from seven mosquito pools collected in July, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported eight recent isolations of WNV in mosquito samples collected in July. This is expected at this time because mosquito-borne diseases become more prevalent as the summer season progresses. Thus far, neither Rhode Island, Massachusetts, nor Connecticut has reported any EEE findings.
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