Just as the Labor Day weekend kicked off, the State of Wisconsin reported the first human death associated with eastern equine encephalitis, a mosquito-borne disease. It occurred in Chippewa County in the western part of the state. The condition is typically rare in Wisconsin, causing only three deaths in over five decades between 1964 and 2018, according to figures from the Department of Health Services. That makes last week's announcement noteworthy. Typically, eastern equine encephalitis is more prevalent along the Atlantic seaboard and the southeastern United States. Mosquitoes get the virus from birds and pass it along to other animals or humans when they bite. It is particularly harmful to horses. The Department of Health Services says it is important to remember that the disease cannot spread between animals and humans or from human-to-human contact. Door County Sanitarian Chelsea Smies is asking residents to limit areas where mosquitoes can breed on your property, and be picky about when you are outside.

Mosquito activity in the area typically remains high through the end of the month. A cold snap this week will reduce high temperatures into the low to mid-fifties, but they are not expected to dip enough overnight for a heavy frost or freeze to occur.