NORTH COUNTRY & NY SEEING MAJOR UPTICK IN DANGEROUS MOSQUITO-BORNE ILLNESSES; AMID WARNINGS OF EEEV AND WEST NILE VIRUS SPREADING, SENATOR LAUNCHES TWO-PRONG PUSH TO BOOST COORDINATION WITH FEDS AND INCREASE FUNDS TO BEAT BACK BUG & DISEASES

Press Release

With growing concern for mosquito-borne illness in St. Lawrence County and the North Country, amid a surge in Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEEV) and West Nile Virus (WNV) cases in horses and mosquitoes and fears that deadly mosquito-borne diseases may spread to humans, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today launched a new push to combat what experts fear could become one of the worst New York State mosquito seasons in recent memory.

“Anyone who was outdoors over Labor Day weekend in the North Country knows the mosquitoes are buzzing this season. But here in St. Lawrence County people fear more than just an itch, as the region has seen an unsettling spike in EEEV cases among horses and West Nile Virus being found in many parts of the state,” said Senator Schumer. “This mosquito season could last well into fall because of all the recent flooding and very wet summer. So, today, I am here to launch a two-pronged push to get the feds to step up efforts to help New York & local officials and surge the resources to zap these bugs and beat back these diseases before they spread.”

Schumer said he is now launching a two-pronged push for the feds including calling on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which works in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure coordination and outline a plan for working with New York State and local communities to survey and track mosquitoes. The CDC and EPA must make sure communities have the resources they need to deal with the new threats that the mosquito population brings, like the surges in mosquito borne illnesses we are seeing this summer and could keep seeing into the future if the trend continues. Second, Schumer is pushing for a $2 million increase for the CDC’s Vector-Borne Diseases programs, which includes EEEV and WNV.

Schumer explained that thus far in 2024, the NYS Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed at least 20 human cases of West Nile Virus (WNV) and 1,868 WNV-positive mosquito pools, including at least three human WNV cases, two horse WNV case, and 226 WNV-positive mosquito pools across Upstate NY. Over the last week, local public health officials have confirmed multiple human cases of West Nile in Upstate NY, including a Jefferson County man who contracted the county’s first WNV case in more than 15 years and an adult man in Wayne County has been hospitalized with WNV.

EEEV is a rarer, but nonetheless deadly viral disease spread by mosquitoes that can affect people and horses. Although no human cases of EEEV have been reported in NYS this year, a New Hampshire man recently contracted EEEV and tragically passed away. The NYS DOH has confirmed the presence of at least fourteen cases of EEEV in horses across ten Upstate NY counties, including St. Lawrence, Madison, Oneida, Cayuga, Orange, Ulster, Wayne, Washington, Clinton, and Franklin, as well as at least nineteen EEEV-positive mosquito pools. There have been 11 human cases of EEEV in NYS since 1971 and seven of those cases were fatal. Standing at Ogdensburg City Hall, Schumer noted the “Imminent Threat To Public Health” in St. Lawrence County, which has been Upstate NY’s epicenter for mosquito-borne illness so far in 2024. After five St. Lawrence County horses were infected with EEEV over a span of eight days the last month, the Senator revealed today that local public health officials have just confirmed the county’s first horse infected with WNV this year.

Schumer said given this major surge in mosquito activity it is imperative entities like the CDC and EPA, engage to help New York State and localities to ensure they have the tools and data they need to keep the public informed and safe. The funding increase Schumer is pushing for in the VBD program would bolster coordination between academic institutions and state and local health departments to ensure information is getting to the community. Schumer has also written to the EPA, urging them to work in conjunction with NY state to ensure local governments, public health officials, and healthcare providers have a consistent supply of mosquito control tools and information to protect the public. The increase in funding would allow New York to access additional resources if the season intensifies or lasts longer than expected. For example, Schumer said the CDC in other large mosquito outbreaks in the past has worked closely states to assist them with mosquito testing for EEEV and West Nile virus and can provide other critical access to data and resources for response to emerging threats.

Schumer explained that the surge in mosquito populations and deadly mosquito-borne viruses like EEEV and WNV also endanger tourism, recreation, quality of life, and more for communities in St. Lawrence County, the North Country, and all-over Upstate NY. Schumer said while there is no commercially available vaccine for EEEV or WNV, the best protection is to prevent mosquito bites and encourage New Yorkers to stay safe and closely monitor public health warnings.
Schumer said, “Prevention is the best way people can protect themselves from exposure to mosquito-borne illness. When you are outdoors, consider wearing clothes to cover your skin and effective mosquito repellent.”

A copy of Schumer’s recent letter the CDC can be found below:

Dear Dr. Cohen,

Following recent reports of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEEV) and West Nile Virus (WNV) in humans, horses and mosquitoes across the Northeastern United States, I am writing to draw your attention to the proliferation of EEEV and WNV across New York State (NYS), express my deep concern about the dangers these deadly mosquito-borne diseases present to New Yorkers, and strongly urge action from the CDC to protect concerned residents across NYS from Hempstead to Potsdam and Albany to Buffalo.

So far in 2024, the NYS Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed at least 20 human cases of WNV and 1,868 WNV-positive mosquito pools, including at least 3 human WNV cases, 1 horse WNV case, and 226 WNV-positive mosquito pools across Upstate NY. Although no human cases of EEEV have been reported in NYS this year, the NYS DOH has confirmed the presence of at least fourteen cases of EEEV in horses across ten Upstate NY counties, including St. Lawrence, Madison, Oneida, Cayuga, Orange, Ulster, Wayne, Washington, Clinton, and Franklin, as well as at least nineteen EEEV-positive mosquito pools. To date, all reported cases of EEEV and EEEV-positive mosquito pools have been located in Upstate NY. Currently, the epicenter for EEEV has been in St. Lawrence County where 5 horses have contracted the virus. In response to the rise in cases, Governor Hochul recently declared an “Imminent Threat to Public Health” in the county.

Since there are no vaccines or treatments currently available for EEEV, it is of the utmost importance to prevent transmission to humans and encourage counties take all precautionary measures to protect their residents. EEEV is fatal in about 30% of people who are affected by it, and survivors also report experiencing neurologic problems. The disease can worsen quickly, with symptoms at the onset often including fever, headache and stiff neck, which all potentially lead to severe swelling of the brain, called encephalitis, the most serious complication.

After a 41-year old New Hampshire man recently contracted and died from EEEV mere hours from the NYS line, concern across the state is rapidly reaching a fever pitch. With no time to waste, I strongly urge the CDC to act without delay and furnish my office with a plan outlining how the agency will coordinate with state, county and local officials in NYS to warn health care providers, public health officials and the broader community about the dangers of EEEV and WNV. Additionally, please highlight any CDC efforts that are already underway to spread awareness about this mosquito-borne disease, and explain what the agency’s capacity is to respond to additional human cases of EEEV and WNV.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter as we continue to defend the health of New Yorkers across the state. I look forward to receiving and reviewing the CDC’s plan as soon as possible.

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