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Summer may give way in the fall, but slowly cooling weather has not yet resulted in a decrease in the number of mosquito-borne diseases, including the rare Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEE). ). This summer, cases of potentially fatal viruses have been reported in states across the country, such as Rhode Island, Michigan and, more recently, Connecticut.
But a number of human EEE cases have also been reported in Massachusetts, which has been particularly affected by the virus this year. Health officials recently confirmed that another resident had been infected with the EEE, representing the eighth human case recorded by the state this year.
On average, five to ten EEE cases are reported each year, says the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
THE WOMAN MASSACHUSETTS DEATH HAS THE ATTENTION OF DIEING RARE VIRUS MOSQUITO-TERMINAL
Mosquitoes are infected with EEE after being fed an infected bird, especially those living in freshwater swamps. In general, mosquitoes with EEE are found only where the infected birds are. According to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, "the virus is sometimes caught by other types of mosquitoes that bite other birds, animals and people," thus creating a "bridge" between the virus and the virus. Man, so to speak. .
Dr. Catherine Brown, an epidemiologist in the state of Massachusetts, told LiveScience that Florida birds – which have been dealing with the EEE for a long time – migrated each year to New England, specifically to a state with a particularly dense population. red maple swamps and white cedars: Massachusetts.
Although a particular species of mosquito in the marsh feeds on infected birds, other types of mosquitoes sometimes feed on birds and eventually become vectors. These mosquitoes then transmit the virus to humans and other mammals, namely horses, which, according to the CDC, are particularly sensitive. (Humans and mammals are considered "dead-end" hosts, however, and the virus is not transmitted from one animal to another, from one human to another, from one animal to another. other or vice versa.)
After a few years, birds infected with EEE build immunity to the virus, according to LiveScience. When this occurs, transmission is not as effective, resulting in a decrease in the number of EEE cases.
However, as the birds breed, the eggs hatch and the older, immune birds eventually die. Young non-immune birds are sensitive to IAS and the cycle begins again, Brown explained. Migratory birds sometimes carry a strain of EEE, to which other birds are not immune, which perpetuates the cycle.
"Taken together, these factors cause epidemics in Massachusetts every 10 to 20 years and can last for years," reports LiveScience.
EEE "is part of a group of viruses transmitted by mosquitoes that can cause brain inflammation (encephalitis)," says the CDC. The virus is more prevalent in the states of the Atlantic and the Gulf Coast, although cases have also been observed in the Great Lakes region.
The symptoms of EEE usually appear four to 10 days after a person has been bitten by an infected mosquito. Severe cases of the virus "begin with the sudden onset of headaches, high fever, chills and vomiting," said the CDC, which noted that "the disease could then evolve into disorientation, convulsions. and in a coma ".
RHODE ISLAND WILL BE PLACE OF A FIRST DEATH OF EEE SINCE 2007, SAY OFFICIALS
One-third of those infected with the EEE virus die; survivors usually suffer from "mild to severe brain damage". There is no specific treatment for the infection.
Health officials in Massachusetts announced Monday that they continued to spray against mosquitoes – particularly in areas of the state considered at increased risk of contracting the virus, according to a statement.
The best way to prevent EEE and other mosquito-borne diseases is to drain stagnant water – such as in birdbaths, buckets or pool covers – because stagnant water can serve as fertile ground for these diseases. insects. Other preventative measures include covering the skin with long pants and a long-sleeved shirt on the outside and properly using an insect repellent containing DEET.
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