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Thursday, August 11, 2016

Mosquito-Carried Eastern Equine Encephalitis Identified in Worcester and Wicomico Counties

(Snow Hill, MD) - Sources of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), a mosquito-carried virus, were identified last month in both Worcester and Wicomico Counties. On July 19, public health officials confirmed two pools of Culiseta melanura species mosquitoes; one near Rural Place in Wicomico, the other near Sheppard’s Crossing in Worcester, Infection with the EEE virus can be serious and sometimes fatal to humans. The best way to prevent infection is to protect yourself from mosquito bites.

The EEE virus is carried and transferred by mosquitoes in the same way that West Nile and Zika are spread. The incubation period for EEE virus once a person is bitten by an infected mosquito ranges from 4 to 10 days. Symptoms can include chills, fever, pain in joints or muscles, or general discomfort. However, some people infected with EEE virus may not develop any symptoms. The EEE virus can be fatal in roughly one-third of those infected and no direct treatment exists. People with milder illnesses typically recover on their own, although symptoms may last for several weeks. In more severe cases, patients often need to be hospitalized to receive supportive treatment, such as intravenous fluids, pain medication, and nursing care.

As is the case with other mosquito-borne diseases, the most effective way to avoid EEE is mosquito bite prevention. Use insect repellents and wear long sleeves while spending time outdoors, install or repair screens on windows and doors, and remove standing water from your property since those areas can serve as mosquito breeding sites. For more information on mosquito prevention, visitwww.cdc.gov/features/stopmosquitoes/.

6 comments:

lmclain said...

FATAL in 30% of cases?

One in three will die?

Is that a misprint?

Anonymous said...

"About four percent of humans known to be infected develop symptoms, with a total of about six cases per year in the US.[2] A third of these cases die, and many survivors suffer permanent brain damage.[3]"

Anonymous said...

Nope, not a misprint. The scary part is that even if you survive you can expect to have mild to severe brain damage.

Anonymous said...

Good reason for the counties to do Ariel spraying instead of wasting money on other worthless projects, which are many.

Anonymous said...

We can thank our illegal immigrants for bringing Zika and other diseases to the US, and Hillary wants to bring more.

Anonymous said...

No you ill informed fear monger. You can thank us citizens that visited Puerto Rico, other island areas and Brazil without taking precautions to avoid being infected. They brought it back to the states.