LANSING, Mich. — After a case of EEE was confirmed in Barry County schools there and in Eaton County aren't taking any chances.
Fox 47's Carla Bayron talked with administrators about what they're doing to limit people's exposure to the potentially deadly virus.
Maple Valley Public Schools is taking the necessary steps to reduce their mosquito population, especially since it's homecoming week.
They told FOX 47 that they're doing everything they can to protect students and staff from mosquitoes potentially infected with eastern equine encephalitis (EEE).
Dr. Katherine Bertolini, Superintendent of Maple Valley Schools, said, "We also are mowing our grass shorter than we typically would just to minimize habitat for mosquitoes and we bought a whole bunch of bottles of repellent with DEET in it so if people choose to apply it at events then they can choose to protect themselves a bit more."
The district also reached out to 'Bullseye Pest Defense' in Charlotte so they could treat their campuses sooner than scheduled.
The company's general manager says the infection should be taken seriously.
"It's something that obviously that can kill you," Robert Horton said. "It's pretty fast. It doesn't matter if you're young or old or healthy."
The business has also treated 50 to 100 homes in Barry County this week for homeowners concerned about EEE.
And with an active EEE case in Barry County, Bertolini didn't want to take any chances as mosquitoes don't care about county lines.
"We just want to make sure that everyone can focus on the fun this week for homecoming and not have to worry about safety and should they stay away because of the fear of this virus, hurting the children particularly."
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