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Mosquito- And Tick-transmitted Infections Hit NH: What You Need To Know

CONCORD — New Hampshire public health officials are urging caution as they announce mosquito- and tick-transmitted infections.

The state's first human case of Jamestown Canyon virus in 2023 is in an adult from Hillsborough County, according to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. Also reported were two cases of Powassan virus, one in an adult in Rockingham County and one in a child from Carroll County. Risk for both mosquito- and tick-transmitted infections remains high, officials said, urging residents and visitors to continue to take steps to prevent mosquito and tick bites.

"Mosquitoes will be with us until the first hard frost, and ticks remain active as long as there is no snow cover and temperatures remain above freezing," said Ryan Tannian, chief of the state's Bureau of Infectious Disease Control. "Preventing the bites that cause illnesses transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks is a key factor in reducing the risk for illness."

How many infections have been seen in NH?

This summer, 14 batches of mosquitos around the state tested positive for JCV, and New Hampshire has reported 13 human cases since 2018. New Hampshire has identified a total of 8 cases of POWV since 2013 when the disease was first detected in humans in New Hampshire.

Is Jamestown Canyon virus similar to EEE and West Nile?

JCV is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito and symptoms of infection may include flu-like illness, fever, muscle aches, headaches and fatigue. Officials said individuals with JCV can progress to more serious central nervous system diseases, including meningitis or encephalitis. Other infections transmitted by mosquitos include Eastern equine encephalitis and West Nile virus, which also present with symptoms similar to JCV.

What is Powassan virus?

POWV is transmitted through the bite of the black-legged tick. An infected tick only needs to be attached to a person for 15 minutes to transmit POWV, officials said. This is the same tick that transmits Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Early symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headaches, and fatigue. More serious central nervous system diseases, including meningitis or encephalitis, can occur.

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How to stay safe

There are no vaccines or anti-virus medications to treat JCV or Powassan virus infections. The best way to stay healthy and prevent illness from these and other tick- and mosquito-transmitted infections is to prevent tick and mosquito bites.

For more information on national data on JCV and POWV, visit cdc.Gov/jamestown-canyon/statistics/current-season-data.Html and cdc.Gov/powassan/statistics-data/current-season-data.Html.

Anyone with questions about vector-borne illnesses can call the state Bureau of Infectious Disease Control at (603) 271-4496 from 8 a.M. To 4:30 p.M. Weekdays.

How to prevent mosquito and tick diseases

From the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health Services:

1. Eliminate habitat and breeding locations.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Remove outdoor items that hold water (old tires, cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots).

Drill holes in the bottom of outdoor recycling containers, clean roof gutters and ensure proper drainage.

If not in use, empty and/or cover swimming pools, wading pools and hot tubs.

Turn over wheelbarrows and change water in birdbaths at least twice weekly.

Ticks

Minimize areas where hosts for the ticks, such as rodents and deer, can congregate to eat, sleep or feed.

2. Be aware of where mosquitoes and ticks live.

Weeds, tall grass, and bushes provide an outdoor home for mosquitoes and ticks alike.

Make sure that doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace all screens in your home that have tears or holes.

Resting mosquitoes can often be flushed from indoor resting sites by using sweeping motions under beds, behind bedside tables etc. And once in flight, exterminated prior to sleeping at night.

Avoid tick-infested areas. If in tick-infested areas, walk in the center of trails to avoid contact with overgrown grass, brush, and leaf litter at trail edges.

3. Protect yourself from bites.

When outside, wear protective clothing such as socks, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants (preferably tucked-in socks). Light-colored clothing helps you spot ticks.

Consider avoiding outdoor activities in the early morning and evening, when mosquitoes are most likely to be biting.

Wear insect repellents, such as one containing 30% or less DEET, Picaridin, para-menthane-diol, IR3535, or 2-undecanone or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Treat clothing with permethrin, which is odorless when dry.

Vitamin B, ultrasonic devices, incense, and bug zappers have not been shown to be effective in preventing mosquito bites.

Shower as soon as possible after spending time outdoors.

Check for ticks daily on yourself, your children, and your pets. Ticks can hide under the armpits, behind the knees, in the hair, and in the groin.

Wash and dry clothing after being outdoors. Tumble clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing. If the clothes are damp, additional time may be needed.

Early removal of ticks can reduce the risk of infection. Inspect all body surfaces carefully and remove attached ticks with tweezers. Monitor your health closely after a tick bite and be alert for symptoms of illness. Contact your physician to discuss testing and treatment.

For more information on mosquito-borne diseases, visit the DHHS Website at www.Dhhs.Nh.Gov.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Mosquito- and tick-transmitted infections hit NH: What to know

How SiRNA Protects Mosquitoes From Viral Infections Like Zika And Dengue

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes transmit viruses that are responsible for a significant global public health burden such as Zika, dengue, and yellow fever. Now, researchers found that an Ae. Aegypti protein, Argonaute 2, has a key role—via several biological mechanisms—in keeping mosquitoes healthy and active despite these infections. These findings could lead to better methods for reducing the mosquito-to-human transmission of viruses.

The discovery represents a significant advance in understanding mosquito biology and presents a strategy that would aim to shut down Ae. Aegypti mosquitoes' defenses when they are infected by viruses—killing the mosquitoes and reducing the transmission of those viruses by Ae. Aegypti to humans. Instead of making mosquitoes more resistant to the viruses, the discovery opens a possible path for making mosquitoes more susceptible and less tolerant to virus infection, which would impair their ability to transmit disease.

The research was published in Nature Communications in the paper, "Aedes aegypti Argonaute 2 controls arbovirus infection and host mortality."

"Researchers have long wondered why Ae. Aegypti mosquitoes don't get sick when they are infected by these viruses—our findings effectively solve this mystery and suggest a potential new mosquito-based disease control strategy that merits further study," said George Dimopoulos, PhD, professor at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute and the Bloomberg School's department of molecular microbiology and immunology.

Ae. Aegypti mosquitoes transmit arboviruses including dengue virus, yellow fever virus, Zika virus, chikungunya virus, and Mayaro virus. There are no antiviral therapies for any of these viruses. Currently, a vaccine is available for yellow fever virus. One dengue vaccine is approved by the FDA for individuals between six and 16 who have had prior dengue infection.

Ae. Aegypti mosquitoes are effective vectors of arborviruses because they can sustain significant infections with these viruses without suffering costs to their overall fitness.

In the new study, researchers examined the role of Argonaute 2 (Ago2), a protein involved in the small interfering RNA (siRNA) pathway, which recognizes and destroys viral RNAs.

The researchers found that in Ae. Aegypti mosquitoes lacking the Ago2 gene, the siRNA pathway is impaired, arborvirus infection becomes more severe, and the mosquitoes' ability to transmit these viruses drops sharply—because they sicken, feed less, and often die within days.

The scientists showed that this increased mortality is caused not only by the impairment of the siRNA antiviral pathway, but also by defects in two other processes that happen to depend on Ago2: DNA repair and autophagy. Ago2-deficient mosquitoes exposed to arborviruses were left with hyperinfections, extensive DNA damage, and the accumulation of molecular waste in their dying cells.

More specifically, the authors wrote, "siRNA pathway disruption by CRISPR/Cas9-based Ago2 knockout impaired the mosquitoes' ability to degrade arbovirus RNA leading to hyper-infection accompanied by cell lysis and tissue damage. Ago2 disruption impaired DNA repair mechanisms and the autophagy pathway by altering histone abundance."

Apart from illuminating an important aspect of Ae. Aegypti biology, the findings point to a possible new arboviral disease control strategy. This would be to engineer the mosquitoes so that arbovirus infections trigger the loss of their tolerance mechanisms, perhaps via the inhibition of Ago2. Arborvirus-carrying Ae. Aegypti mosquitoes would thus die quickly, whereas the much greater number of non-arborvirus carrying Ae. Aegypti should be unaffected.

"The biology of mosquito susceptibility and tolerance to infection is an interesting area of exploration for other pathogens as well," said Dimopoulos. "For instance, mosquitoes that transmit malaria parasites could perhaps also be engineered to become sick and succumb to infection."

NH DHHS Announces Mosquito- And Tick-Transmitted Infections In The State

NH DHHS Announces Mosquito- and Tick-Transmitted Infections in the State

~Residents and Visitors Urged to Take Steps to Prevent Bites~

Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of Public Health Services (DPHS) is announcing the State's first human case of Jamestown Canyon Virus (JCV) infection in an adult from Hillsborough County.

 In addition, DPHS is reporting two cases of Powassan Virus (POWV), one in an adult in Rockingham County and one in a child from Carroll County.

 Risk for both mosquito- and tick-transmitted infections remains high, and the Department urges residents and visitors to continue to take steps to prevent mosquito and tick bites. 

"Mosquitoes will be with us until the first hard frost, and ticks remain active as long as there is no snow cover and temperatures remain above freezing," said Ryan Tannian, Chief of the DPHS Bureau of Infectious Disease Control. "Preventing the bites that cause illnesses transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks is a key factor in reducing the risk for illness."

This summer, 14 batches of mosquitos around the state tested positive for JCV, and New Hampshire has reported a total of 13 human cases of JCV since 2018. New Hampshire has identified a total of 8 cases of POWV since 2013, when the disease was first detected in humans in New Hampshire.

JCV is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito and symptoms of infection may include flu-like illness, fever, muscle aches, headaches, and fatigue. Individuals with JCV can progress to more serious central nervous system diseases, including meningitis or encephalitis. Other infections transmitted by mosquitos include Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile Virus (WNV) which also present with symptoms similar to JCV.

POWV is transmitted through the bite of the blacklegged tick. An infected tick only needs to be attached to a person for 15 minutes to transmit POWV. This is the same tick that transmits Lyme Disease, Anaplasmosis, and Babesiosis. Early symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headaches, and fatigue. More serious central nervous system disease, including meningitis or encephalitis can occur.

There are no vaccines or anti-virus medications to treat JCV or Powassan virus infections. The best way to stay healthy and prevent illness from these and other tick- and mosquito-transmitted infections is to prevent tick and mosquito bites. 

For more information on national data on JCV and POWV, visit https://www.Cdc.Gov/jamestown-canyon/statistics/current-season-data.Html and https://www.Cdc.Gov/powassan/statistics-data/current-season-data.Html.

Anyone with questions about vector-borne illnesses can call the DPHS Bureau of Infectious Disease Control at (603) 271-4496 from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. More information can also be found at https://www.Cdc.Gov/jamestown-canyon/index.Html and https://www.Cdc.Gov/powassan/index.Html.

Prevention Guidelines for Mosquito and Tick Diseases

NH Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health Services

1. Eliminate habitat and breeding locations.

Mosquitoes

·         Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Remove outdoor items that hold water (old tires, cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots).

·         Drill holes in the bottom of outdoor recycling containers, clean roof gutters and ensure proper drainage.

·         If not in use, empty and/or cover swimming pools, wading pools and hot tubs.

·         Turn over wheelbarrows and change water in birdbaths at least twice weekly.

Ticks

·         Minimizing areas where hosts for the ticks, such as rodents and deer, can congregate to eat, sleep or feed.

2. Be aware of where mosquitoes and ticks live.

·         Weeds, tall grass, and bushes provide an outdoor home for mosquitoes and ticks alike.

·         Make sure that doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace all screens in your home that have tears or holes.

·         Resting mosquitoes can often be flushed from indoor resting sites by using sweeping motions under beds, behind bedside tables etc. And once in flight, exterminated prior to sleeping at night.

·         Avoid tick-infested areas. If in tick-infested areas, walk in the center of trails to avoid contact with overgrown grass, brush, and leaf litter at trail edges.

3. Protect yourself from bites.

·         When outside, wear protective clothing such as socks, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants (preferably tucked in socks). Light-colored clothing helps you spot ticks.

·         Consider avoiding outdoor activities in the early morning and evening, when mosquitoes are most likely to be biting.

·         Wear insect repellents, such as one containing 30% or less DEET (N,N-diethyl-methyl-meta-toluamide), Picaridin, para-menthane-diol, IR3535, or 2-undecanone or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Treat clothing with permethrin, which is odorless when dry.

·         Vitamin B, ultrasonic devices, incense, and bug zappers have not been shown to be effective in preventing mosquito bites.

·         Shower as soon as possible after spending time outdoors.

·         Check for ticks daily on yourself, your children, and your pets. Ticks can hide under the armpits, behind the knees, in the hair, and in the groin.

·         Wash and dry clothing after being outdoors. Tumble clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing. If the clothes are damp, additional time may be needed.

·         Early removal of ticks can reduce the risk of infection. Inspect all body surfaces carefully and remove attached ticks with tweezers. Monitor your health closely after a tick bite and be alert for symptoms of illness. Contact your physician to discuss testing and treatment.

For more information on mosquito-borne diseases, visit the DHHS Website at www.Dhhs.Nh.Gov.

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