Published by: Jean Ashley Lugod
Date Published: September 10, 2024
Time Published: 6:40 AM
Transmission of the rare mosquito-borne Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus occurred in the northeastern state of New Hampshire, USA, after a person died from a bite of an infected mosquito on Tuesday, August 27, 2024.
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) confirmed a case from Hampstead involving an adult male who was hospitalized and later died from the virus, which caused severe central nervous system disease. DHHS stated that the first case of EEE in the state was in 2014, with three human cases detected and two fatalities.
Earlier this month, officials in Massachusetts announced the state's first human case of EEE this year. An 80-year-old man contracted the virus, prompting the government to take action by limiting public outdoor activities, closing public parks, and enforcing ground and aerial spraying of mosquitoes to minimize the spread of infection.
About 30% of people who develop the EEE virus die, while survivors experience symptoms such as vomiting, headache, diarrhea, seizures, behavioral changes, drowsiness, and neurologic problems. Currently, vaccines are not available to prevent the disease.
Mosquitoes and birds are vulnerable to the virus, commonly found in freshwater hardwood swamps. Different types of mosquitoes like Culiseta melanura, Culex, Coquillettidia, and Aedes can infect humans and some animals, known as "bridge vectors." However, humans and horses are considered "dead-end hosts," meaning they cannot spread the virus once infected.
EEE started as an epidemic virus in the northeastern part of the US since 1831. In Massachusetts, in that year, from midsummer to early fall, 75 horses were confirmed dead; these seasonal patterns fit the current happenings.
EEE was suspected to be insect-borne through circumstantial evidence in 1933 due to its impact in mid-Atlantic states. Shortly after, birds were observed as the main host of the virus based on epidemiological analysis.
Soon after, EEE was recognized as a human-transmissible disease during the outbreak in Massachusetts in 1938, and it continued to spread to Connecticut and Rhode Island, which were also affected during that year's outbreak.
Today, the virus is present in North, Central, and South America.
REFERENCES:
[1] Presse, A. (2024). US patient dies from rare mosquito-borne disease. ABS-CBN News.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2024/8/28/us-patient-dies-from-rare-mosquito-borne-disease-1158
[2] U.S. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION. Eastern Equine Encephalitis: Causes and How it Spreads. (n.d.) https://www.cdc.gov/eastern-equine-encephalitis/cause-and-spread/index.html
[3] Armstrong, P. M. & Andreadis, T. G. (2021). Ecology and Epidemiology of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus in the Northeastern United States: An Historical Perspective. OXFORD ACADEMIC. https://academic.oup.com/jme/article/59/1/1/6420395
[4] VECTOR DISEASE CONTROL INTERNATIONAL.
What is Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus and How Does it Spread? (n.d.)
https://www.vdci.net/vector-borne-diseases/eastern-equine-encephalitis-virus-education-and-integrated-mosquito-management-to-protect-public-health/
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