Officials say mosquitoes they were trapping and testing in Thompson on Aug. 24 tested positive for eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus.

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station says these are the first EEE positive cases identified this year.

EEE is a rare but serious illness in humans. The last major outbreak occurred in 2019, involving 38 human cases nationally. EEE is the most severe mosquito-transmitted disease in the U.S. with approximately 40% mortality and significant brain damage in most survivors.

Officials say the mosquitoes were a predominately bird-biting species.

They urged Connecticut residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites.