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One person had died after testing positive for the mosquito-borne infection – eastern equine encephalitis or EEE virus, health authorities in the US state of New Hampshire said. The Hampstead resident’s infection was the first in the northwestern state in a decade, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services said. The resident – whom the department has not identified, had been hospitalized due to severe central nervous system symptoms.
Since last week, several towns across the country have increased surveillance against the deadly infection – by shutting parks, playgrounds, and fields from dusk to dawn.
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According to experts, EEE spreads to people through bites from an arbovirus-infected mosquito, causing brain inflammation and permanently affecting how your brain and nerves function – leading to disabilities. Around 30 per cent of those infected by an EEE-infected mosquito develop encephalitis and die. Research suggests EEE is more common during late spring through early fall. Infections usually peak in summer months and are most common around bodies of fresh water and swamps and near coasts.
EEE got its name because researchers first discovered the virus in horses in the 1830s.
Certain types of mosquitoes get the EEE virus by biting and feeding on birds that have the EEE virus. These mosquitoes then bite humans and animals. Infected birds originally get the infection after being bitten by another infected mosquito.
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Doctors say as of now there is no vaccine or antiviral treatment available.
Signs and symptoms of EEE
According to doctors, most people who have the infection do not have any symptoms, however, if you do experience them, they would include:
- High fever
- Chills
- Joint pains
- Muscle pain
- Confusion
- Diarrhoea
- Drowsiness
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
Most of the symptoms usually appear four to 10 days after a bite from an infected mosquito. Doctors say severe signs of EEE look and feel the same as the flu, so, it is important to visit your doctor in case you have developed these symptoms.
EEE can exacerbate quickly and some patients may go into a coma within a week. Humans and some mammals are what’s known as “dead-end hosts,” meaning they do not spread the virus, even though they get sick, to mosquitoes that bite them.
Which US towns have raised their EEE risk levels?
Four towns in Massachusetts have raised the EEE risk level to “critical” – Douglas, Oxford, Sutton, and Webster. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the towns of Carver, Dudley, Middleborough, Northbridge, and Uxbridge also raised their EEE risk levels to “high”.
US CDC says concern is also rising over the West Nile virus – also spread by mosquitoes. Last month, multiple local health departments warned citizens after officials detected mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus in various states. The CDC says it recorded 216 cases in at least 22 states already.