Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus: 7 Things You Should Know
EEEV is making headlines. That’s Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus. The CDC documents an average of 7 cases per year, but this year, there are about 30 nationwide. According to the latest reports, nine people have died. Check with your local health department for statistics in your area.
What you need to know:
1. The virus is transmitted through mosquitoes.
2. About 30% of people who get sick, will die from the virus.
3. Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain. Many mosquito borne viruses manifest as encephalitis.
4. Symptoms of encephalitis include headache, high fever, lethargy, nausea and vomiting, and neck stiffness.
5. In the case of EEE, symptoms will develop 4 -10 days after infection.
6. There is no specific cure. Treatment is supportive.
7. We are seeing more cases, because more mosquitos are carrying the virus. Massachusetts reports four times as many infected mosquitos as in previous years, about 350. New Jersey reported 65 infected mosquitos as of last week. Weather plays a role, as well as the cyclical nature of the virus itself.
You will likely be seeing EEE in the news, and while this is tragic for the people infected, it is still important to keep things in perspective and not panic every time you see a bug.
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