This Rare, Mosquito-Borne Illness Is A Public Health Threat In Some States. Here's What Doctors Want You To Know
A person in New York has died from eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE. This was the first person to be diagnosed with the illness in the state in nearly a decade. As a result, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has declared EEE to be a public health threat.
In case you’re not familiar with it, EEE is a rare and serious mosquito-borne disease that can cause brain infections in people who are infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A man in Massachusetts was also infected with EEE this summer, causing state officials to take extra precautions.
“Keeping New Yorkers safe is my top priority,” Hochul said in a September 23 statement.
Now, officials plan to continue mosquito-spraying efforts, making mosquito repellent available to people at state park offices, visitor centers, and campgrounds. People are also being urged to avoid parks and camping at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes tend to be most active.
But what is EEE and how concerned about this should you be? Infectious disease doctors explain.
Meet the experts: Infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. Thomas Russo, MD, professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York.
What is the survival rate for eastern equine encephalitis?
Some people can have EEE and have no symptoms, making it difficult to say exactly what the survival rate is. However, research puts the fatality rate at 30 percent, noting that 50 percent of survivors have lingering neurological issues.
How many people have died from EEE?
An average of 11 human cases of EEE are reported in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This year, two people have died from the illness—a 41-year-old man in New Hampshire with no underlying health issues and a New York resident.
While any death from a mosquito-borne illness is shocking, “the number of deaths is in the usual range per year in the U.S.,” says infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, MD, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
Thomas Russo, MD, a professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York, agrees. “If you look at the CDC data over the last 20 years, the cases range from anywhere from one to 38 per year,” he says. “This year is maybe a whiff higher, but certainly not the highest year.”
How is EEE transmitted to humans?
EEE is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito, per the CDC. The virus circulates in the environment between mosquitoes and birds that are usually found in swamps.
The virus can occasionally be spread through organ transplants, the organization says.
What are the symptoms of EEE?
EEE can cause a febrile illness (fever) or neurologic disease, per the CDC. People with a febrile illness will usually have these symptoms:
Fever
Chills
Body aches
Joint pain
People with neurologic disease—which is the more serious form of EEE—may have these symptoms:
Fever
Headache
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Seizures
Behavioral changes
Drowsiness
Coma
Can you recover from EEE? How is it treated?
People with the febrile form of EEE will usually recover in a week or two, according to the CDC.
Sadly, about a third of people who develop a severe case of EEE die, according to the CDC, and many who are recover have long-term physical or mental problems.
There is no specific medication to treat EEE. Instead, people with the condition are usually given supportive care, like medications to help control their fever and pain, Russo says.
How can I protect myself from EEE?
“EEE is always something that public health authorities take seriously,” Adalja says.
EEE is the biggest concern in people who live in areas where the virus has been detected in mosquitoes and where there have been human cases, he adds. (It’s also been detected this year in Massachusetts and New Jersey, FYI.) If you live in those areas, Adalja recommends trying to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, including wearing bug repellents with EPA-registered ingredients, and doing your best to stay indoors during times when mosquitoes are most active.
Overall, Russo says that EEE is usually a regional issue. “But mosquitoes can harbor infectious disease everywhere in the country,” he says. As a result, he stresses the importance of doing what you can to lower your risk of mosquito bites.
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