[ad_1]
DETROIT (WTHR) – A 14-year-old Michigan girl is under ventilation and needs a feeding tube after consuming what her mother says is a form of encephalitis caused by a mosquito bite. The virus can cause permanent brain damage and there is no known cure.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Savanah Dehart has been hospitalized since August 17 with what her mother says is Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). At least three people from western Michigan are suspected of being infected with the virus, according to the state's Department of Health and Human Services.
Dehart began to have symptoms on August 16th. His mother, Kerri Lynn Dooley, reportedly said that Dehart did not complain about the bite of a mosquito before the disease struck. She woke up with a headache that was getting worse.
A visit to the emergency room and numerous tests confirmed that Dehart was suffering from meningitis and encephalitis and that he had had a seizure. An MRI also confirmed brain damage, according to the report.
Dooley says the tests have yet to confirm that it's an EEE, but that it's "unofficially official". She posts updates on the #SavannahStrong Facebook page and says Dehart may be removed from the fan on Friday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention anticipate that there is no vaccine or medicine to prevent EEE in humans, nor any cure. The best way to avoid contracting it is to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
According to the Michigan DSHS, six cases of EEE were confirmed in horses in three counties. There is a vaccine for horses, but none of those who contracted it was vaccinated and all died.
[ad_2]
Source link