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Night 5 of mosquito spraying under way to combat EEE

Posted at 7:46 PM, Oct 05, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-05 19:46:58-04

LANSING, Mich.— Areas including those missed by the recent inclement weather will be sprayed Saturday night from 8 p.m. until 4:30 a.m.

This is the fifth night aerial spraying of the pesticide Merus 3.0 has been used to prevent the spread of Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a disease carried by mosquitoes and passed through their bite.

Spraying is weather contingent and can be canceled or moved to another area listed below at a moments notice.

“Aerial treatment will continue, depending on weather, until all areas of risk are treated or there is a hard frost sufficient to kill these mosquitoes,” The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement.

The MDHHS release a list of the areas to be treated tonight according to the Aerial Treatment Zones Map:

  • Area 4-2 in Calhoun County.
  • Areas 6-1 and 6-2 in Jackson County.
  • Area 9-1 in Lapeer County.
  • Area 14-1 in Washtenaw County.
  • Area 15-1 in Livingston County.
  • Area 1-2 in Allegan County. (weather alternative)
  • Area 8-2 in Kent County. (weather alternative)
  • Areas 10-1 in Montcalm County. (weather alternative)
  • Areas 13-2 and 13-3 in Van Buren County. (weather alternative)

There have been nine confirmed cases of EEE in people with four deaths attributed to the disease. MDHHS says mosquitoes testing positive for EEE have been found in traps set Oct. 1 in southwest Michigan.