Michigan public health officials are advising residents to guard against mosquito bites after a rise in cases of eastern equine encephalitis, including two additional deaths in southwestern Michigan.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday that there have been deaths in Cass and Van Buren counties. Those follow an earlier death in Kalamazoo County. There also have been human cases in Barry and Berrien counties, and animal cases in St. Joseph, Genesee and Lapeer counties.

Officials in affected counties are being urged to consider postponing, rescheduling or cancelling outdoor activities occurring at or after dusk, especially activities that involve children, until there’s a hard frost, and mosquitoes are no longer active. Those include sports activities.

The virus was also recently detected in insects and animals in northern Indiana. More information about eastern equine encephalitis can be found on the state website.

https://www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases/0,4579,7-186-76711_77442—,00.html