What's Eastern Equine Encephalitis?
Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is a rare illness in people and only a few cases are reported in the USA each year. Most diseases occur in the Northeastern Atlantic states or the Gulf Coast states. EEE is among the most severe mosquito-transmitted ailments in the USA with approximately 33 percent mortality and significant brain damage in many survivors.
Anyone in a region where the virus is circulating can become infected with EEEV from an infectious mosquito bite. The risk is highest for folks who reside in or see swampy woodland habitats in coastal areas or along the Great Lakes, and individuals working outdoors or participate in outdoor recreational activities, allowing for increased exposure to infected mosquitoes.
EEEV is transmitted via the bite of an infected mosquito. The principal EEEV vector is a swamp shrub known as the blacktailed mosquito (Culiseta melanura) which transmits the virus to birds, or becomes infected by feeding on infected birds in their swampland habitat. Among the most likely EEE vectors to people is the"cattail mosquito" (Coquilleta perturbans) which breeds in cattail marshes, but disease transmission may come from a lot of other floodwater mosquito species that most commonly occur in aquatic or swampy areas. Transmission of the EEE virus doesn't occur directly from person to person.
Severe cases of EEEV infection start with the sudden onset of headache, high fever, chills, and nausea, and might lead to encephalitis (an inflammation of the brain) which leads to disorientation, seizures, and coma. Roughly a third of patients who develop EEE perish and lots of those who live have moderate to severe brain damage. Luckily, most men exposed to EEEV don't develop noticeable symptoms.
It takes 4 to 10 days following the bite of an infected mosquito to develop symptoms of EEE.
These tests typically search for antibodies that the body makes from the viral disease.
What's the remedy for Eastern Equine Encephalitis?
There's no specific treatment for EEE. Antibiotics aren't effective against viruses, and no successful anti-viral drugs are discovered. Severe illnesses are treated with supportive therapy that might include hospitalization, respiratory support, intravenous (IV) fluids, and avoidance of different infections.
How do Eastern Equine Encephalitis be averted?
There's no vaccine or preventative drug for EEE. Preventing mosquito bites is the chief source of prevention.
- Use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus on exposed skin or clothes. The repellent/insecticide permethrin may be used on clothes to shield through several washes. Always follow the instructions on the package.
- Have secure, intact screens on doors and windows to keep mosquitoes out.
- Eliminate mosquito breeding sites by emptying standing water from flower pots, buckets, barrels, and other containers. Drill holes in tire swings so water drains out. Keep children's wading pools empty and on their sides when they aren't being used.
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