Fox Health: What is EEE, the mosquito-borne disease that killed a New Hampshire man?

[riky]

What is EEE, the mosquito-borne disease that killed a New Hampshire man?

Here's what to know about Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), the rare, potentially deadly mosquito-borne disease that has sparked concern in the Northeastern U.S....                        ...                        ...                            ...A rare, potentially deadly mosquito-borne disease has sparked concern in the Northeastern U.S.......Last week, a man from Hampstead, New Hampshire, died after testing positive for Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE).......The man "was hospitalized due to severe You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, and has passed away due to [the] illness," according to a statement from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......Another New Hampshire man, Joe Casey, is currently in the ICU on a ventilator after contracting three You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, including EEE, according to local reports.......In late August, four Massachusetts towns — Douglas, Oxford, Sutton and Webster — set a voluntary evening lockdown in an attempt to curb the You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login.......That decision came after the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed the first human case of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) since 2020 in Worcester County, affecting an elderly man in Oxford.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......As of Aug. 27, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported four total cases of the virus in 2024, although that data is subject to change.......There were seven cases reported in 2023, one case in 2022, five in 2021 and 13 in 2020.......The year 2019 saw a spike, with 38 cases reported.......Eastern equine encephalitis is You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login that is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, according to the CDC, which describes EEE as a "rare but serious disease."......Only a few cases are reported in the U.S. each year, most in the Eastern or Gulf Coast states.......Humans and other animals that contract the virus are considered "dead-end hosts," the CDC states, which means they can't spread it to mosquitoes that bite them......."While EEE is widespread in the Western Hemisphere, it normally affects animals such as You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, birds, reptiles and amphibians, and rarely causes clinical infection in human beings," Dr. Eyal Leshem, director of the Center for Travel Medicine and Tropical Diseases at Sheba Medical Center in Israel, told Fox News Digital.......While EEE was previously "very uncommon" in the U.S., there is the potential for these types of viruses to become more prevalent across the country, according to Dr. Edward Liu, chief of infectious diseases at Hackensack Meridian You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login University Medical Center.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......"As warm seasons get longer, mosquitoes have more time to breed," Liu told Fox News Digital. ......"If heavy rains cause standing pools of water, that will create an environment for larger mosquito populations."......Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News and clinical professor of medicine at You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, confirmed that the virus has been "exceedingly rare, though "frequently disabling (neurologically) and deadly."......He also told Fox News Digital, "I don't think it will become a problem, as it is very rare, with just a few cases per year, but the fear of it is spreading."......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login of EEE include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, stiff neck, seizures, behavioral changes and drowsiness, per the CDC.......These usually appear five to 10 days after being bitten.......The disease can be deadly, resulting in fatalities for 30% of infected people.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......"Sometimes patients exhibit a change in mental status or other You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, which are linked to inflammation in their meninges (membranes that protect the brain and spinal cord) or their brains," said Leshem. ......Older people and those who are immunocompromised are at the highest risk for mosquito-borne encephalitis.......The disease is also more dangerous if it occurs in tandem with other You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login that cause encephalitis, according to Liu......."We know ticks can carry more than one pathogen, so it would be concerning if mosquitoes carry more than one pathogen," he said.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login ......The only treatment for EEE is supportive care to manage symptoms......."There is no specific drug or antiviral that has proven effective in treating EEE," Leshem said. ......There is also You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login available for Eastern equine encephalitis. ......You are not allowed to view links. Register or LoginYou are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......"Testing for encephalitis is still not very available outside of hospitals, and sometimes not accurate," Liu warned.  ......"It would not be surprising if its testing confused two similar viruses, as the antibody testing we use is not always accurate."......Protecting against mosquito bites is the best way to You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, experts agree......."We need to make sure that mosquito control programs stay strong," said Liu.  ......"We cannot rely on each homeowner to pay for mosquito control services. In New Jersey, mosquito control is county-based and therefore at the mercy of the county budget."......The CDC recommends using insect repellent, wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, and treating clothing and gear with permethrin, which is an insecticide that kills or repels mosquitoes.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......Taking steps to control mosquitoes indoors and outdoors can also help prevent infection, the agency states on its website.......Some recommended strategies include using screens on windows and doors, using air conditioning when possible, and eliminating standing water where mosquitoes tend to lay their eggs....

Source: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login