VT Digger The state advises protecting against mosquito bites as summer comes to a close. Vermont’s Department of Health confirmed the state’s first-known human case of the mosquito-borne Jamestown Canyon virus. The disease has relatively mild symptoms, especially for young people who do not have underlying health conditions.
The state began monitoring mosquitoes for Jamestown Canyon Virus this year, after it was found in nearby states. The monitoring showed insects in Rutland, Marshfield and Whitingham all carried the disease. This human case, which was confirmed in a Sept. 8 lab test in a Windsor County patient, further confirms the presence of the virus in Vermont, according to Natalie Kwit, the state’s public health veterinarian.