Penobscot County emu tests positive for mosquito-borne disease

The Bangor public health director reminded city councilors and residents on Wednesday to protect themselves against mosquitoes after two animals in the region tested positive for mosquito-borne diseases in the last two months.

An emu in Penobscot County tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis, often called Triple E, in mid-August, according to Jennifer Gunderman, Bangor’s public health director.

Triple E can cause fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, behavioral changes and drowsiness, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Triple E case came a month after a crow in Bangor tested positive for West Nile Virus , Gunderman said.

Symptoms of West Nile Virus include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea and rash, the CDC reports.

Both Triple E and West Nile Virus, which can be fatal, spread through the bite of a mosquito infected with the diseases. There is no vaccine for Triple E or West Nile Virus in humans, Gunderman said.

While neither positive test is surprising, as the diseases have previously appeared in Maine, the cases are proof that both West Nile Virus and Triple E are circulating in the region, Gunderman said.

She stressed that cases of Triple E and West Nile Virus aren’t rising locally or nationally, though that could change quickly.

Both cases were revealed in weekly reports from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Gunderman reminded councilors and residents to wear long clothing and use insect repellent to protect themselves against mosquito bites, especially when outside around dusk and dawn when the bugs are most active.