WELLS, Maine — The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is urging caution after a pool of mosquitoes in southern Maine tested positive for Jamestown Canyon virus.
It's the first time the virus has been detected in Maine since 2019. The Maine CDC said Tuesday in a news release that no known human cases in Maine have been confirmed.
The mosquitoes that were tested and found to be carrying the virus were in Wells, the release stated.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Jamestown Canyon virus can cause symptoms that may include fever, fatigue, headache, or possible respiratory symptoms such as coughing, sore throat, or runny nose. Severe cases, though rare, could include encephalitis, meningitis, or even death.
Many people who become infected have no symptoms, the release from the Maine CDC said.
There is no medication available to treat JCV, and the infection does not respond to antibiotics, the U.S. CDC said on its website.
The Maine CDC recommends people take the following steps to protect themselves and animals from mosquito-borne diseases, including JCV:
- Wear loose-fitting long sleeves and long pants
- Using an EPA-approved repellent on skin and clothing
- Taking extra precautions at dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active
- Using screens on windows and doors
- Draining artificial sources of standing water, where mosquitoes can lay eggs
- Taking steps to prevent mosquito bites when traveling
New Hampshire identified its first positive test for JCV from a collection of mosquitoes tested in Keene on June 6. The Granite State first reported the disease in 2013, according to a news release distributed on June 23 by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.